


Sundreams

by edibleflowers



Series: A Year in the Life [4]
Category: Pop Music RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-21
Updated: 2012-09-21
Packaged: 2017-11-14 18:42:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/518337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edibleflowers/pseuds/edibleflowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joey goes to Mexico to get away from it all, only to find a new set of complications.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sundreams

**Author's Note:**

> The fourth story in the Year in the Life series, this one lingered unfinished for a long time. I started it in 2000, having chosen a random vacation spot in Mexico for Joey to visit, and wrote Once Upon a Time in Mexico when I had given up on finishing it. (It's sort of a combination of finishing the stories for Joey and Chris, especially since Chris's still isn't done and probably never will be.) However, this one finally got wrapped up sometime in 2004. It makes reference to events in Best of My Life, but nothing that requires that fic to be read first. Also, the title is taken from the 'N Sync song, which is billed both under this title and as "Some Dreams".

Stepping down from the last riser of the stair platform, Joey Fatone inhaled a deep breath of warm, lush air. It was refreshing, he thought, to be able to get a feel for one's location on first arriving there, as opposed to having to wait until you got through the airport and baggage and -- more often than not -- all the way to the hotel first.

Quickly, so as not to impede the other travelers disembarking from the plane, he headed along within the guidelines that crossed the tarmac to the terminal's entrance. His first breath of Akumal, Mexico, had been everything he expected: luxurious, tropical, if a bit overdosed by engine fumes from the airplanes. He was looking forward to stretching his legs a bit; the stopover in a Texas airport hadn't been enough to break the monotony of the lengthy flight.

His one regret was that his quasi-girlfriend, Lindsey Abrams, wasn't there to share in the vacation with him. Joey sighed to himself as he thought again how perfect it would have been if she could have come. But she was still in a summer class at school, determined to get extra classes in order to finish her degree early. He understood that; _still, it would have been fun_ , he thought to himself ruefully, a thought that had crossed his mind many times already. Technically, she wasn't even his girlfriend anymore; they'd only seen each other twice since their first meeting, and the long-distance aspect of the commitment had finally pushed Lindsey, during their last conversation, to wonder if what they had was even enough to be called a relationship.

They'd met the previous March, when Lance invited her and her two best friends over to have a movie night with them and the other guys in their group, 'N Sync. Carrie Adams and Lance had apparently been childhood friends, though they'd lost touch over the years; when the two met up by chance at DisneyWorld, Lance had taken immediate measures to correct that loss of contact. Joey found Lindsey immediately attractive, both in body and spirit; she had a light heart and mellow bearing, a unique way of looking at the world that he definitely liked. They'd found shared interests, a mutual enjoyment of life and its pleasures, and on the last night of her visit, both had been understandably displeased with the thought of being parted.

Still, it had been months since then. 'N Sync had gone on tour in May, and while he'd been on the phone quite a bit with Lindsey, they'd only actually seen each other twice: once in Indianapolis, and again in Cincinnati, when Lindsey and Carrie had roadtripped out to see them. The school year was well over by then, and Joey had once more tried to talk Lindsey into joining the tour for at least a little while, as he'd done before in Indianapolis; but Lindsey was taking a summer class and couldn't afford the time off. While he had been a little hurt at her refusal, he did admire her determination to keep on course with her education. Still...

And they'd been talking less in the past couple of months. She was always busy, even back home in Kansas City with her family; he was starting to wonder if the relationship he'd hoped for was really there or just a product of his overactive imagination. So in ways he hadn't blamed her for suggesting they call a halt to things. But he couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

Joey liked Lindsey a lot. Despite his well-acknowledged reputation as a flirt and a womanizer, he was as much a romantic as anyone, and he really was hoping to find that one person with whom he was meant to spend his life. If she was out there. Now that things with Lindsey seemed over, he found himself disliking the idea of starting the search all over again.

 _I may be "the flirty one", but that doesn't mean I'm on the prowl twenty-four seven, or even that I want to be_.

He found his suitcases at baggage claim and headed over to the car rental booths. He was determined to kick back and relax, to destress from the tour, and to not worry too much about anything. He was here alone, no bodyguards -- the record company hadn't been too thrilled about that, but he was in one of the more remote areas of the many popular Caribbean tourist spots, and he wasn't going to let his vacation be spoiled by the caged feeling that surrounded his life almost constantly.

In the car, he rolled down the window, better to breath in the warm, redolent air. The breeze through the window carried in rich floral scents, relaxing in their sweetness. Joey smiled as he started the car, digging through his carry-on bag for directions to the small villa where his reservations had been placed.

* * *

Danica Woodson ran up the beach towards the entrance of the hotel, muttering to herself. She'd lost track of time, enjoying the water and the waves, and her mother would likely have her head on a platter now.

The beach entrance was closed for some temporary construction, so she darted up the side walkway, bare feet slapping on the hot concrete, to the front door. In her rush, she failed to notice another person also headed toward the door.

"Woah, look out!" The warning he cried was too late to keep her from crashing into him, and they went rolling to the smooth marble porch. Danica gave an embarrassed yelp, clutching her snorkeling gear close to her chest in hopes of avoiding breakage. When the world came to a stop, she found herself on her back, her arms wrapped around her snorkel and mask, with a strange man sprawled atop her, looking down at her as if she were completely insane.

"Normally I get to know a girl before I end up in this position," he quipped, smiling easily. His brown eyes were sweet, warm beneath the backturned ballcap, and Danica gulped involuntarily, feeling herself go bright red.

"Um... I'm sorry," she said. "Really, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"I saw that." He seemed to bear no ill will, though, as he got to his feet and helped her up. "Now I'm all wet, though."

She winced when she saw where her wetsuit, still damp from her swim, had marked the front of his clothes. "God, I'm so sorry," she started again.

"No, it's okay, really. If this is how I get welcomed to Akumal, I'll have to come here more often." To her astonishment, he was grinning. She flushed all over.

"Um, I -- I have to get going," she said softly, and darted inside.

Joey shook his head as he watched the girl disappear into the lobby. Adjusting his clothes, rumpled by the encounter, he found himself smiling as he headed inside to check in. So far, the trip was going surprisingly well, and it had barely started.

The hotel's manager, a small, pleasant woman with tidy hair the color of pewter, efficiently checked him in and showed him up to his second-floor suite. The villa itself was miniature by comparison to some of the huge resort hotels he'd seen closer to the airport, but that was one of the reasons he'd chosen the place; that, and he was looking forward to a more quiet, relaxing vacation. With the worldwide popularity 'N Sync had gained in recent years, he could never feel completely safe or wholly anonymous, as much as he would have wanted to.

Besides, the villa was charming all on its own, tucked away in this secluded bay. And the suite, well -- he had been in lots of hotel rooms over the past five years, some better than others, but this one was all his for the next week, and it was positively huge. He had a sitting room, the couch and tables appointed in subtle colors that made him think of ancient Aztecs; a cabinet opposite the couch hid the television. A door led into the bedroom, similarly decorated, and from there he could see the entrance to the bathroom in one corner. He dropped his suitcase on the bed, his eyes immediately attracted to the balcony facing it; through the sliding glass doors, a wide scoop of dark ocean beckoned. From this angle, the bay was a cup edged by the deeply-ridged mountains on either side, the white sands of the beach dipping down to meet waves lapping into the shore.

Joey left the doors open, breathing in the rich scents of the air, and decided to call Lindsey. Although they hadn't spoken in a few days -- their last discussion had, in fact, been when she'd suggested they terminate the relationship -- he still wanted to talk to her, see if there was some chance to work things out. Flopping down on the bed, he picked up the phone and dialed the long-distance codes.

He had to admit that he'd been harboring the small hope that he could talk her into joining him after all. Even that hope was dashed, unfortunately, when someone female informed him -- in somewhat stilted tones -- that Lindsey was out right now. Maybe he could call back later? He regretfully gave a brief message and the villa's phone number, then, hanging up, rolled over and laid his head back on the pillow.

Not surprisingly, he found his mind wandering to the girl who'd bumped into him outside; he realized that he was wondering what her name was. She certainly was pretty, if not the most stunningly beautiful woman he'd seen -- but that wasn't always the best thing, since beauty, he'd had good chance to learn, was more than often only skin deep. There was a sweet innocence to her, especially the way she'd flushed with embarrassment, dark red under a deep tan. Her hair had been wet and limp, but he'd seen that it was a rich, dark brown in hue; and her eyes were, he thought, as green as the sea.

All that in a hasty impression? _Joey, you've got it bad_. He chuckled to himself as his eyelids began to droop; he was beginning to feel the effects of the extended plane ride and the early hour at which he'd had to rise. A brief nap was just the way to start his week of relaxation; then he could find someplace for dinner and, hopefully, more.

* * *

"And where were you, young lady?"

Danica rolled her eyes as she closed the door behind her. As she'd expected, her mother was bustling around the room, half-prepared for the evening; yet at the same time she managed a well-honed look of disapproval to her newly-arrived daughter.

"I lost track of time, I'm sorry. But I was right where I said I'd be, and obviously I'm not totally late."

As soon as she said that, she regretted her words; her mother shot her a sharp, angry glare. Meekly, she slunk into the room she was sharing with her younger sister.

Jenna was, as usual, laid out on the bed, her nose in a book and the earphones of her Discman keeping her in a musical world of her own. She was dressed for the evening, and Danica had to admit that she looked pretty good, for a bratty fourteen-year-old -- or would, rather, when the wrinkles in her dress were smoothed out. As she yanked her dress out of the closet, hurriedly tugging off the wetsuit at the same time, Jenna glanced up and rolled her eyes.

"Mom's pissed at you."

"I know, I know." Finally managing to shuck the clinging wetsuit, Danica, clad now in her bikini, tossed her dress over her shoulder and dug in her suitcase for lingerie.

"Why were you so late?"

"I got distracted. And I ran into a guy outside."

"Ooh, you met a guy?" While Jenna was forbidden from dating until the age of sixteen -- a fact she bemoaned often and loudly -- she had no compunction about living vicariously through her adored older sister. "Was he cute?"

"I don't know. I mean I literally ran into him and knocked him down."

Jenna giggled as she went back to her book. Danica ducked behind the screen to change, wishing as she did so that she'd grabbed a towel in her hasty flight. Her skin was still a little damp, and now she felt cold and clammy as well. She managed to get dressed in short order, though, and by the time she re-emerged into the main area of the suite to do her makeup and hair, she found that her mother was on the phone with the restaurant, double-checking the reservations.

"Jenna!" Terri Woodson called, as soon as she had hung up the phone. "Are you ready to go?"

A bored-appearing Jenna appeared a few moments later, Discman and book still firmly in place, to lean on the door frame in bored anticipation. "I don't see why we have to go to this dumb dinner," she muttered.

"Because we came here to get out and have fun, and we won't meet people if we sit here in the hotel room all the time." Terri got up, reaching for her purse. "Danica, are you ready?"

"Just a minute, mom."

"We don't have a minute."

Danica gave a mental growl, dabbed on a last bit of mascara, and stuck the brush back in its container. "All right, let's go." _Anything to keep you happy and not thinking about Dad_ , she grumbled to herself, getting up and grabbing her purse.

* * *

The restaurant turned out to be surprisingly American in tone; Danica surmised that this was probably just to appeal to American tourists. The hostess who led them to their table, the waiter, even the busboys spoke flawless English, and while Danica appreciated that, she didn't like the way her mother tsked about finally being able to understand someone in this country.

She kept her tongue, though, since she didn't feel like starting another argument. Fiddling with the menu, she watched people on the dance floor nearby. The band was playing strictly low-key, older tunes, perfect for romantic slow dancing or, at the most, mildly energetic soft-shoeing. Not that she had anyone to dance with, or, for that matter, any interest in dancing. Too, she noticed that the atmosphere wasn't nearly as formal as her mother had made it out to be; most of the other patrons were dressed far more casually, and Danica felt like a sore thumb in her formal black dress in the middle of everything.

Suddenly, Jenna jumped in her seat with a muffled squeal of excitement. "Oh my GOD!" she hissed in a whisper.

"Don't blaspheme," Terri said automatically. "What is it, Jenna?"

"Th-that's Joey Fatone." The young girl pointed a trembling hand towards the entrance, where a nicely-dressed young man with short brown hair and a goatee -- no, she saw on second glance, it was a short-cropped beard edging his jawline -- had just begun to speak to the hostess.

"Who?" Danica glanced at her sister, amused, before following Jenna's gaze.

"Jenna, it's rude to point," Terri said. "And I'm sure that whoever that is, it isn't."

"Joey, from 'N Sync," Jenna said; now her voice was trembling, too.

Danica didn't know anything about the current crop of boybands, but she knew that this one was her sister's favorite, and that it was entirely possible for Jenna to have seen someone who looked like this Joey guy and mixed them up. Peering over at the young man, she couldn't help but smile a little. "Actually, he looks like the guy I ran into today."

"You what?" her mother asked, her eyes still focused on the menu.

With a sigh, Danica quickly explained her encounter. Terri rolled her eyes, sighing. "If you wouldn't run around all the time..."

Danica had ceased to listen, though; Jenna grabbed her arm, hanging on as if her older sister were a lifeline. "Danny, Danny, that's him, I know it is, that's him!" The young man was being led towards them now by the hostess, who seemed to be aiming for a table close by.

"So go over and ask for his autograph, Jen." Danica reached into her purse for the notebook she always kept there, as well as a pen.

"But... but..." Jenna seemed to lose her nerve suddenly, and Danica knew exactly what was going to happen next. "Come with me!"

"All right." Grudgingly, Danica stood up with her sister, Jenna's hand fiercely clutching hers. They waited, at Danica's insistence, until the man had been given his menu and ordered a drink before heading over.

"Excuse me, um, Joey?"

Joey looked up from his menu, blinking in surprise -- though, he knew, he shouldn't have been -- at the fact that someone knew his name. "Yes?" he replied, feeling himself go automatically into what he called 'rock-star mode'. It never failed; he'd hoped for some peace on this trip, but he supposed it was inevitable. But the girl was cute, obviously nervous, and the older girl with her looked oddly familiar...

"Oh, we meet again," he said, grinning.

"I thought it was you," Danica chuckled, feeling herself go red again.

"Danica, you DID run into him! Geez! I'm sorry for my sister's clumsiness," the younger girl promptly said, and Joey laughed.

"No, it's quite all right. No harm done. Uhm, can I help you?"

The girl meekly offered the notepad, and Joey solicited her name so that he could personalize the autograph. Signing with a flourish, he handed it back to her before adding, "And what's your sister's name?"

"She's Danica," Jenna said, grinning.

"You know, I can answer for myself," Danica added, giving Jenna a glare.

"He was asking me," the younger girl put in, with an impudent smirk.

"And you're staying at Casa Salvaje, too?" Joey asked, quickly, before the sibling rivalry degenerated further.

Danica nodded, pushing back a strand of hair from her eyes in a quick, elegant gesture. "I promise I'll try not to run into you again."

He pulled a look of disappointment at that, and the girls giggled. "We'd better get back before my mom kills us," Danica said then, and Jenna thanked Joey for his autograph before they headed back to the table.

"See, I told you." Jenna waited to scoot back into the booth before sticking her tongue out at her sister.

"I so care." Danica just rolled her eyes and picked her menu up again. She couldn't resist giving Joey ( _so that's his name_ ) one more little peek; a flush crossed her face when she saw he was looking at her. _Damn, he is kind of cute. Maybe there is something to these boybands_.

Dinner was, as expected, unpleasant, despite the brush with celebrity; Danica did her best to be nice for her mom's sake, but as she continued to sip at vodka sours through the meal, her demeanor became less pleasant. Danica only thanked God that she had thought to grab the keys from Terri as they'd come into the restaurant; she'd feared something like this happening.

As soon as possible, she hustled her mom and her little sister out of the restaurant, surrendering her own Visa card for the bill ( _she can pay me back later_ , she thought to herself with a groan upon seeing the price of the meal) before getting them to the car.

* * *

"Hey."

Joey turned his head and looked up, blinking at the person addressing him -- even with sunglasses, the angle of the sun was bright in his eyes, and he had to squint a little before he could get a clear image of her. His smile of recognition was quick and completely natural. "Hey -- Danica, right?"

She nodded, her hands fumbling around the towel she held in her hands. He thought to himself that as nice as she'd looked in the dress last night, she was just as pretty now, in a simple black tank-style bathing suit and her hair loose in soft waves around her face. "I just wanted to apologize if we disturbed you last night. My sister gets a little enthusiastic, and I, well, I imagine it has to be a pain to be bothered when you want to do normal things like have dinner."

"It's okay, I didn't mind." He stuck his bookmark back into the novel he'd been reading, sitting up a bit in his lounge chair. He'd been out here for a couple of hours, just relaxing in the warm sunshine and the peaceful quiet of the beach. Since the villa was small and its beach private, there was hardly anyone else out here; he was really enjoying that aspect as well. "I mean, now I know your name, and that's a big step up from our first meeting."

Danica smiled a little, tossing her towel over her shoulder. "I'm sorry for that, too. I was in a rush."

"So I gathered. Are you now?" he asked.

She scuffed her sandaled feet in the sand. "Not really. I was just going to go swim for a bit. By the way, I've told my sister not to bug you."

"Oh, it's all right. One person I can handle, it's just the screaming mobs that get to be a bit..." He trailed off, searching for the word.

"Overwhelming," she suggested. He nodded, smiling.

"Well, I don't want to keep you from your swim," he said softly, a bit disappointed that she hadn't quite heard his hint. _Okay, so I'm not on the prowl, but I can talk to some girl who seems interesting, can't I?_ he reasoned to himself.

"I'll... see you around, then, I guess," Danica replied. Running a hand through her hair, she smiled again, then headed further down the beach towards the water. With an appreciative eye, he watched her go.

* * *

Joey was still laying on the beach an hour or so later when Danica, done with swimming, came out of the water; she felt absurdly relieved to see him there. Grabbing her towel, she used it on her hair as she walked up towards him.

"This seat taken?" she asked, indicating the sand by his beach chair.

He chuckled. "Not at all. You want me to get you a chair?"

"That's okay, thanks." She flung the towel to the sand, spread it out, and sat down, leaning back on her hands.

"So, how long have you been here?" he asked.

"Couple of days. We've been here before, though we don't usually come to this hotel."

"Ah, so you're an old hand around here. Maybe you can show me the sights," Joey suggested.

"Oh, sure," she smiled. "Not a problem at all."

They talked for a while, Joey gradually eking more information from Danica -- or Danny, as she offered as a nickname -- that she was his age, lived in Seattle, and that her father had died at the beginning of the year in a plane crash.

When he'd expressed shocked sympathy at that simply stated fact, she shrugged it off. "It's okay, I'm pretty much all right with it now," she told him.

Danica was beginning to settle back, finding a pleasant rhythm to the conversation. Joey's attention was enjoyable and then some; she wasn't nearly as nervous around him as she'd been yesterday -- in fact, she was finding that she wanted nothing more than to bask in the gaze of his deep brown eyes. She was in the middle of telling him how she'd been unable to find a job since graduating from college when she realized that she'd lost his attention completely.

"Who's that?" Joey breathed, his eyes fixed on an exotic woman walking towards them from the direction of the villa. Statuesque, with richly hued brown skin and a lavish black mane rippling around her shoulders, the woman approached at a leisurely pace. Danny rolled her eyes as, unbidden, jealousy swept through her.

"That's Pilar Rodriguez, the owners' daughter. I'm surprised you haven't seen her yet." Danica stood up, gathering her things. She knew she'd lost Joey's attention now, probably for good. Oh, well; it had been nice while it had lasted.

"Um. Hey, see you around," he called as she walked away. Standing up at Pilar's approach, he missed the daggered glance Danny shot at Pilar.

"Hello, Mr. Fatone." Pilar's sultry voice revealed her Hispanic heritage in a strong accent that was nonetheless charming. "I hope I am not intruding, but when I heard that we are fortunate enough to have one of the members of 'N Sync staying with us -- well, I had to see for myself."

"Oh, that's no problem at all." This was familiar ground; as Joey slipped into casual-flirting mode, his eyes trailed up the villa, and the path which Danica had taken. He hoped she wasn't upset.

* * *

Danica came into the suite to see her sister lounging on the couch, on her stomach, intent on a book in her hands. She seemed to be the only person there, judging by the fact that the television was off.

"Where's Mom?" Danica asked.

"In town, shopping." Jenna blew a bubble and popped it, her eyes never straying from her book. "She tried to make me go, but ugh, no way. Like I really want to be seen in public with her."

"Jenna, no one here cares." Danica understood, to some extent, her sister's dismay over the possibility of being seen out with her mother -- back home. Here, though, she could only chalk up Jenna's fear to paranoia.

"What got your panties in a wad?"

Danny leaned into the bathroom, tossing her towel in the general direction of the tub. "I'm just a total idiot, that's all," she said, half to herself

"Yeah, what else is new?"

"Shut up."

"Make me." Jenna rolled over to her side, her back against the couch's back, speaking louder as Danica made her way into their bedroom to change. "I saw you talking to Joey," she called. "Is he why you're pissed off?"

"No."

"Oh, bullcrap. Pilar's practically got her hands in his pants, no wonder you're mad."

"Good Lord, Jenna, Mom's going to kill you if she hears you talking like that."

"Stop changing the subject. You ought to ask him out."

"Yeah, that's gonna happen. Besides, I don't want a million teenyboppers hating my guts. No offense."

"None taken. Anyway, it's sluts like Pilar we hate, not nice girls like you."

"'Slut' is right," Danica muttered. "She's probably already seducing him -- not that I care or anything."

"You're jealous."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

Danica emerged from the bedroom in jeans and a tank top, brushing her hair. She knew she should wash it after her dip in the salty ocean, but right now she wasn't in the mood. "Anyway, he's probably not interested in me. Guys never are. I always end up as the best friend."

"So grab him and kiss him," Jenna advised. "I would. I mean, if he was Justin. And if Justin didn't have a girlfriend."

"Like I even know or care about this?" Exasperated, Danica picked up the remote control and flopped into a chair, stabbing at the power button.

 _I don't care_ , she told herself, focusing on the mindless activity of flicking channels, most of which were Spanish-language and therefore incomprehensible to her. _I don't! It doesn't matter if I like him or not, he's some famous pop star anyway, and after Saturday, I'll never see him again, so my preferences aren't important anyway. And it's not like people like me get to be with people like him_ \--

Fortunately, her train of thought was interrupted by her mother, returning from shopping with several armloads of bags; she sprang up to help, relieved to have something to think about if only for a little while.

* * *

The night was amazing, Joey thought, standing out on his balcony. Though he knew the island was far from uninhabited, it certainly sounded peaceful and natural, as if man's foothold on it was temporary at best. The sounds of night animals -- birds' cries, the calls of wildlife and insects -- filled the air, though above all roared the sea, claiming its title as master of all.

He hadn't intended to stay out late, but a recommendation from one of the porters had sent him to a local bar populated by a variety of tourists, natives, and local color. Though a few of the patrons had recognized him, he had managed to have a good time unmolested by the usual crowds that made clubbing less fun and more chore in other parts of the world. Dancing had been a welcome release, especially when Pilar had appeared like magic through the crowd; he'd found himself caught in a slow, heady embrace with her during one powerful song, and then she'd disappeared again. She certainly was direct, he mused. He'd always liked that in a girl, never having enjoyed the games-playing so often used to determine interests or intentions. Lindsey was direct, he thought, and felt a pang. It was a gentler pang, though, and he didn't mind it quite so much.

Now, his buzz was beginning to wear off, but he didn't feel tired yet. The beach looked inviting enough; without a second thought, he decided to take a walk down there until exhaustion caught up with him.

Barefoot, he scooped room key and wallet into a pocket, and padded down the hall to the front entrance; the front desk was dark as he passed it, but he took note of the bell to ring for night entry to the villa. Then he slipped out the door, felt the fragrant evening air caress him again, and paused just to breathe it in.

The sand was still sun-warm under his feet, though it seemed to cool with each grainy step he took towards the sea. He whistled to himself, swinging his arms as he walked; then a sudden exclamation brought him to a halt.

"What the--?" he heard a feminine voice say in surprise, and a shadow he hadn't even seen peeled itself away from rock-shadows, standing with hands raised before the body. It only took Joey a moment to recognize her.

"Danica?" he asked.

"Oh, Joey." She breathed a sigh of relief, stepped further into the moonlight that gilded everything in blue and silver. "Sorry, I thought you might be, you know, someone else."

"Were you expecting me?" he said, head tilting to one side in curiosity.

"Uh, no, no -- just, you know--" Danica ran a hand through her hair, letting out a nervous laugh, and for a moment Joey thought he saw genuine fear in her eyes.

Debating his next move, he reached out a hand without otherwise moving closer to her. "Did something happen? I mean, you don't have to be scared of me."

Danica ducked her head a little, retreating into herself; her arms stiffened, hands tucking into the pockets of her denim shorts. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I'm a little jumpy."

"Want to talk about it?" Joey took a step or two towards her now, feeling an odd affection touch him at the way she drew into herself, like a scared little girl. "I'm told I'm a good listener."

"I'm not sure if it's something I can talk about," she replied, her eyes focused on the sand. "But, uh, maybe we can just talk? Like the way we were today, before--"

She didn't have to finish the sentence. Joey caught a flash of her less-than-charitable feelings towards Pilar in the momentary glint of Danica's dark eyes; but he didn't really want to know about that. "Sure," he said. "Talking's good."

"So, uh, my sister tells me that you guys are one of the hottest groups around right now," Danica led off the conversation, heading down to a seat in the sand.

Joey followed her, settling down with his arms draped over his knees. "I guess so," he replied. "I mean, we're doing all right. Can't complain."

"Didn't you set a record for CD sales or something? That sounds more than 'all right' to me."

"Yeah, we did." He chuckled a little, remembering the crazed response when Johnny had told them the news, back at the end of March. "It's a great feeling, but in the end it's just another number. Backstreet Boys are probably going to kick our asses when their new one comes out, and Eminem's sold really well, too."

Danica curled her legs into a crossed sitting position, leaning back on her hands to look out at the water. "After a while, it probably starts becoming meaningless," she said. "I try to think about, what was it, two point four million records, and that large of a number is difficult even to picture."

Joey nodded, surprised. "That's it exactly. You have to keep perspective on everything, because it's way too easy to let it get to your head, and the next thing you know you think you're better than everyone else. I hate that kind of attitude." He sighed softly. "Plus, it doesn't help when everyone wants a piece of you. Everyone wants to know you, or be your best friend, or they want you to invest in some marketing thing or scheme or whatever. Just because your name is attached to something famous."

"Careful there, you're going to start making me feel sorry for the poor little pop star." Danica's voice was dry, and Joey gave a short laugh.

"Oh, it's not like it's the worst gig in the world, believe me. I love being onstage, singing and dancing and everything. And hanging out with the guys rocks. Sometimes I have to pinch myself, because I can't believe I lucked out and got all this. My best friends and I are in this group that basically -- well, maybe we can't do whatever we want, but we've got a lot of the things we went after when we started, and we're still together and friends. I still love them just as much as I did when we first got together. Maybe more."

"That's really sweet." Danica gave him a wide-eyed look that made him smile instinctively in response. "You know, most of the time you hear about groups getting big and then they hate each other. You're not just giving me a publicity line, are you?"

Joey shook his head, combing fingers through his disheveled hair. "Nope. I'm telling God's honest truth, here."

"That's cool," she murmured, her gaze returning to the gently lapping waters. Moonlight silvered the ocean's surface, gilding it in sparkling brightness.

"Of course, the downside is that your other personal relationships tend to suffer," he commented in a softer voice. "Like -- well, for example, I met this girl earlier this year."

"Oh?" Danica's voice had gone a little colder, but since her arms were wrapped around her shoulders now, he thought it might just be because of the cooling breeze blowing in from the ocean.

"Yeah," he went on. "Lindsey. I thought she was really special, and she is. But she's going to college in Indiana, and she's really trying to focus on her studies, and so we never see each other. So sometimes it feels like, why bother?"

"I see what you mean." Danica sighed softly. "It must be hard for you. Jenna said you were the, uh... the flirty one." A humorous tone touched her voice as she imparted that title.

Joey smiled at that. "Well, that's what they call me. I guess it's true. I like girls, it's no use hiding it." He wondered briefly why he'd suddenly become so communicative; maybe it was the night, which seemed to lend an air of confession to their conversation. Or it could be the fact that Danica was a virtual stranger, which made it easier to talk to her without any preconceived notions: except, of course, the ones she'd been given by her sister.

"You all like girls," she noted, "but you get the label. Why's that?"

"I act on it," he shrugged. "Hey, most guys want to be rock stars because they'll get girls. I can't say that wasn't part of my decision. That and I was sick of howling for my supper," he added with a low chuckle.

She was confused at that, and Joey explained how he'd once worked at Universal Studios as the Wolfman in an all-monster revue. That led to a description of how he'd met Chris and how, eventually, the group had hooked up. By then, Danica was yawning, and the yawns were infecting him as well; so, feeling a bit saddened at the necessary end to their conversation, Joey stood up and escorted her back to her room.

By the time he pulled off his clothes, the sun was starting to filter into his room. He groaned and yanked the balcony curtains closed before falling into bed, feeling strangely at peace for the first time in a long time.

* * *

Joey ambled into the villa's small dining room late the next morning. He'd slept in -- not surprising, considering how late he'd been up talking to Danny -- and relaxed in bed for a while, flipping channels, before actually getting up and showering. He could get used to this, he thought as he found himself a table. Of course, that was what a vacation was for -- and God knew he needed one, after the tour, all the promo stuff, the lawsuit, more tour coming up -- but the mellow laziness of this place seemed even sweeter when he thought that in less than a week, he'd be back into the grind. He'd be Joey Fatone, pop star, one-fifth of 'N Sync again. He wasn't relishing the thought.

Danica caught his eyes across the room, giving him a shy smile and wave. He grinned back. Seeing that she was alone, he pondered briefly whether she might want company. She didn't have any food on her table, just a carafe of juice.

She looked up from her menu, surprised, when he walked over and stopped at her table. "This seat taken?" he asked, giving her a little smile.

"Oh! Uh, no, please, sit down." She moved the juice to make room for him as he slid into the seat opposite hers. At this late hour, they were alone in the room, save the busboy quietly shifting plates at another table.

"How are you doing?" he asked, reaching for another menu.

"Good," she replied. She smiled, her eyes focused on the menu before her. "My mom took Jenna off to go do something touristy, boat tour or something, so I have the day to myself."

"That's cool." Joey perused the breakfast choices thoughtfully. "Maybe we could do something."

"Together?"

Joey chuckled to himself at her apparent startlement. _Geez, you'd think she didn't have any friends_. "Sure. They have parasailing here, right? That's always fun."

"Y-yeah, they do," Danica nodded. A waiter appeared, took their order, and slipped away again. In the ensuing silence, she fidgeted with her napkin.

"So?" Joey asked, pouring some orange juice for himself. "You want to? It'll be really cool."

She went still for a moment. Then a smile spread like sunlight across her face. "Sure. I've never done it before, though. Is it scary?"

"Aw, it's a blast. It's this great rush. Me and the guys used to do it all the time in Florida."

The food came and was eaten, Danica still looking a little pale, and then Joey went around to get his car and ask for directions to the nearest place that offered parasailing. Danica was waiting for him at the front door when he pulled up.

"Nervous?" he asked, once they were on the road.

"A little," she replied. She was silent during the short drive; Joey chattered, trying to put her at ease, but she only nodded or gave short, one-syllable answers to his anecdotes and questions. He wondered if it was nerves or something else bothering her; she'd been much more animated during their conversation last night.

* * *

"So where were you all day?" Terri asked, her mouth pursed.

"Well, Joey took me parasailing," Danica said. Reaching for the salt, she grinned at Jenna, whose mouth hung open in surprise.

"Parasailing? Isn't that dangerous?" Terri's voice dripped with disdain, which Danica knew meant she was concerned.

Danica shook her head. "Not really. They went all out on safety. And it was really fun, you wouldn't believe it."

"Wow," Jenna said faintly. Danica grinned at her sister.

"What else did you do?"

"Drove around, saw some sights. Talked. It was cool."

"Well, remember, I have my spa tomorrow, so you have to watch Jenna." Terri ignored Jenna's halfhearted protest, continuing, "No traipsing around with boys, now, do you hear me?"

Danica raised an eyebrow, faintly amused. Twenty-four years old, and her mother still thought she ran her life. _Because I traipse around with boys so much_ , she thought, but schooled her features to a pleasant smile. "All right. Jenna, whatcha wanna do tomorrow?"

"Hang out with Joey," Jenna promptly replied, giggling. Danica smiled as Terri shook her head, sighing. Good girl, Jenna.

* * *

"Dude, how did you get to go parasailing with Joey Fatone?" Jenna said in the darkness of their hotel room.

"I don't know. He found me when I was having breakfast, so I guess I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Wow." Jenna fell quiet for a moment, her silence thoughtful in the darkness. "What was it like?"

"Geez, it was. I don't know, it was really amazing. Intense."

"Were you scared?"

"At first, but then you get up there and there's nothing but the wind and the sky around you, and you feel like you could just go on forever. It was great. I'd take you, I would, but they don't let minors do it."

"I know," Jenna said glumly. Then, a little brighter, "What's Joey like?"

Danica smiled. "He seems really nice. It was just fun, hanging out. He tells bad jokes, but he's sweet about it."

"Geez, Danny. Do you know how lucky you are? Man, I'm so jealous."

"Sorry," Danica murmured, not feeling terribly contrite. She'd already decided not to tell Jenna, or anyone else, about the previous evening's moonlit conversation; that, she wanted to keep for herself as a private memory.

* * *

In the middle of a none-too-serious game of volleyball the next day, Jenna hit the ball too hard, and it went sailing down the beach. Danica rolled her eyes, groaned, and trotted after it.

"This yours?"

She squinted into the brightness, smiling to see Joey approaching her with the volleyball under one arm. He was dressed in a muscle shirt and shorts, barefoot, his skin already bronzing after only a couple days' worth of sun. _Nice_ , she thought, appreciative of the combined effect.

"Yeah, sorry."

"Oh, no problem. I saw you guys playing, looked like fun."

Danica snorted. "Not when you play my sister. She's the star on her JV team, and she's kicking my butt."

"Ah, come on, I'll save you." He gave her a carefree grin and jogged back to the net.

If it had been lighthearted before, now it degenerated to downright silly. Joey went completely goofy, sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes when he served, making Jenna laugh so that she couldn't return the serve. Danica started trash-talking, and before long they were yelling insults at each other that made them laugh too hard to hit the ball. Eventually Danica collapsed into a giggling heap on the sand, and Joey declared the game over.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go get something to eat. My treat."

Once they'd changed out of sandy, sweaty clothes, Joey drove them to a nearby restaurant. Danica was vastly amused -- and secretly pleased -- when Jenna jostled her into the booth next to Joey. As they ate, Jenna babbled cheerfully at Joey about her love of 'N Sync, discussing the music, performances, and even fashion tragedies (Danica cracked up when Jenna started dissing the clothes JC had worn in a recent video). Joey was amiable, seeming to genuinely enjoy the conversation.

Afterwards, they headed back to the hotel. As they emerged from the car, Joey turned to Danica, his eyes bright.

"Hey, you want to go get a drink tonight? There's this great bar right on the beach that I've been going to."

"Oh, I--" She blinked, startled, at him, and he wondered what he'd said that had put her off. Then he saw that she was looking past him, and he turned to see what had attracted her gaze.

Across the parking lot, striding out of the hotel, Pilar gave him a wave and a smile. He grinned back, then glanced back to Danica and Jenna. They were gone.

"Huh," he said to himself.

"Hola, Joey," Pilar smiled as she came up to him. "I had a wonderful time dancing last night. I hope I'll see you again tonight."

"Oh, yeah, I'm gonna be there," he replied, resisting the urge to caress her shoulder, bared by the brief halter-top she wore. When she invited him back to the villa for a late lunch, he didn't even think twice before accepting.

* * *

Joey was awakened the next morning by the ringing of the phone, on the nightstand by his bed. Blearily, he groped for the receiver; finding it, he lifted it up, then snaked it under the sheets and brought it to his ear. "Yeah," he mumbled, cotton-mouthed.

"Joey?"

Only JC would be that perky this early in the morning. "Whatcha want, C-man? I'm still asleep here, you know."

"Oh, I forgot about the time difference." JC paused a moment as if in regretful acknowledgement of the disparity of time zones in which each of them currently resided, then rushed on. "You'll never believe this. Karyn and Carrie are here."

"What do you mean 'here'?" Through the fog still shrouding his brain, Joey knew that something about that statement was important, but he couldn't figure out what.

"They're here. In Florida. They transferred schools. They're going to UCF now."

"You're shitting me," Joey said in a sleepy mumble. "That's cool."

"Yeah, uh, they called me and Lance and we found out about it yesterday. We had no idea, cause they kept it all this big secret."

The significance of JC's semi-reluctant tone, and the fact that he'd mentioned only two names before, finally sank into Joey's half-awake brain. "You said Karyn and Carrie, right? What about Lindsey? She's there too, man, right?"

Silence now, except for the crackling of the long-distance wires. "Come on, Jace, tell me what's going on," he said in a voice half-pleading, half-threatening.

"They said Lindsey didn't want to move," JC reported. "That she's too involved with the psych program at IU and that she wants to finish school there."

Joey let out a long, slow breath. Somehow, a part of him had been waiting for that. _Of course Lindsey's staying in Indiana. What reason does she have to transfer to Florida? She's not in love with you like Karyn is with JC or Carrie is with Lance. You were a fun fling, that's all_ \--

"Joe? You there?"

Joey sucked in a breath, nodding, realizing even as he did it the absurdity of gesturing to a telephone. "Yeah. I'm here. Thanks for telling me, JC. I appreciate it."

"Anytime." JC gave a vocal wince. "I mean--"

"I know what you mean," Joey assured him. He peeled the blankets off of his head and blinked at the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

"So where were you last night? I tried to call you then, but I didn't get an answer."

Joey wiped at his eyes. "Nowhere. Just went for a walk. There's... this girl," he admitted weakly, and scowled at JC's laughter.

"I knew it! I knew you met someone. Pay up." He sounded like he was speaking to someone else in the room, and Joey's already-sour mood took a dive further south.

"You're real fucking funny, you know that?" he informed JC.

"And you're being a dick," his friend shot back amiably. "Is she cute?"

"I'm not trying to pick her up, asshole." Joey felt himself getting honestly angry now. "She actually listens to me when I talk, which is kind of a nice change."

"Look, I'm sorry." The laughter had faded from JC's voice; he sounded sincere, now, making Joey think that he'd surprised JC with the force of that outburst. _Good_ , he thought. He'd surprised himself with that, too. "So are you having a good time?" JC asked.

"Yeah, so far," Joey said. "It's only been a couple days, you know. But it's nice here. Not too touristy. It's hot, but what do you expect?"

The conversation turned to other things before JC excused himself, saying that he and Karyn had some kind of plans later. Another flash-wave of annoyance hit Joey at that, though he managed to mumble a polite goodbye and hang up the phone without getting upset.

 _So Karyn and Carrie transfer, but Lindsey doesn't? When was I supposed to find this out_?

He had wanted to take a shower, as he was feeling gritty, but decided now to postpone it until he called Lindsey. Picking the phone up again, he dialed the international codes, then her apartment number, and waited while the connection went through. Finally it started ringing.

After several rings, a machine picked up. Joey was in the middle of giving her an excuse -- she's probably at class or something -- when he registered what the message was saying.

"Hi, you've reached Rachel and Gwen's place. Leave a message and we'll get right back to ya!" two cheerful female voices chirped in his ear.

Joey breathed into the phone, astonished. She'd moved? Without telling him? _Well, shit, if she wasn't going to transfer and she didn't tell you that, why would she fill you in on piddly little details like moving to another apartment_? Finally he realized that the machine had beeped, was waiting for his message. He gave a sigh, debated for a moment whether to leave one or not, then finally decided to.

"Hey. My name's Joey, I'm looking for someone who used to live there, Lindsey Abrams? If you know where I can reach her, please give me a call with her number. It's long-distance but you can reverse the charges. Or just give her this number."

He grabbed the itinerary from the nightstand and read off the hotel's number, then stammered an awkward-sounding thanks and hung up. Distinctly uneasy now, he shed his boxers and wobbled into the bathroom to shower.

* * *

Restless that evening, Joey finally put down the book he'd been attempting to read. He had been telling himself that he didn't want to go out drinking just to forget about Lindsey, but as the day wore on, the argument held less and less water. He'd tried again to call her, with as much success as before; when he'd finally managed to get through to one of the apartment's new occupants, Rachel -- or maybe it was Gwen -- had sounded confused and said she didn't know anyone named Lindsey. Gwen (or maybe it was Rachel) had apologized, very nicely, but it didn't do much for his state of mind.

So he and Lindsey were through. Nice of her to tell him, he thought, feeling almost savage as he got up and went to his bag to find a clean shirt. He didn't care. It hadn't been serious. Just because he'd met her at the same time Lance and JC had met Carrie and Karyn (or re-met, whatever, he amended the thought) didn't mean that they were automatically meant to be in a long-term relationship too. He was fine with just a fling.

 _Fuck it_. He grabbed his shirt and went to change.

* * *

Walking down the hallway to the front door, he passed the door to Danica's suite, and closed his eyes.

* * *

He'd been dancing indiscriminately with whichever girl swayed closest to him, enjoying the anonymity of slender bodies, half-bare and glistening in the darkness, when a hand slid around his shoulders and over his chest. Absurdly he thought for a moment that it might be Danica, but no; even in the club's flashing lights, he could see the darkness of skin, the gaudy bracelets. _Pilar_. He turned, and her grin flashed in the glittering lights.

* * *

They didn't stay very long after that. When Pilar headed for the exit, Joey followed without a second thought. He didn't really care what happened tonight, as long as it didn't require the use of his brain, since that hadn't done him too well in the past.

They kissed in the cab back to the hotel -- Joey had had at least enough sense not to drive over, for which he was grateful now -- and back at Casa Salvaje, he overpaid the driver while Pilar strolled inside.

He led her to his room in a daze. The moment they were inside, she began untying the knot of her dress, which was done up at her nape, and it fell to the floor, revealing lush curves, bare breasts, dark shadowy skin. Joey swallowed hard and closed the door.

* * *

Afterwards, laying together in a tangle of sheets, Joey let his fingers wander through Pilar's extravagant hair. She had been exuberant, full of energy, and he thought it was nice to just be, without thinking, to let her wildness consume him.

"You were amazing," she murmured.

"So were you," he said, and, closing his eyes, leaned in to kiss her again.

"We should stay in bed tomorrow." With a little heave of breath, designed to lift her chest, she sat up, throwing her hair over her shoulders. "Hm? I could have the chef send us breakfast. It would be delicious."

"Sounds nice." Joey leaned back, arms behind his head, his gaze lazy on her, voluptuous and dusky in the dimness of the room. Something tickled at his memory, and he frowned. "Oh, but I can't. I said I'd take Danica out for a drink tomorrow."

"Danica?" Pilar turned to look at him, her brow wrinkling. "Why on earth would you want to see her?"

Joey blinked. "Why not? She's, I mean, she's pretty, and she's fun, and..."

"Joey, really," Pilar said, sounding impatient now. "She's just a child! I don't know why you would insist on spending time with her."

"You know her?" Joey asked, feeling vaguely disturbed.

A faint smile touched Pilar's lips. "Well, she and her family have been visiting here for a few years now, so, like it is with many of the tourists, we often come to remember names and faces. But I can't say that she and I have ever been close -- she really is an unremarkable girl, not interesting at all."

 _Unremarkable?_ Joey thought to himself, surprised. It occurred to him then that Pilar probably considered most female visitors to Akumal as competition -- at least, those who were young, single, and attractive. Before he could bring himself to comment on this, though, her mouth was covering his again, and she was moving over him, pressing her body to his.

"Come, lover, enough talking," she murmured in his ear, and despite himself, he felt himself begin to stir again. "Take me for another ride now, I want to--"

A sudden surge of distaste rose in him, and he pushed her hands away. "I'm not really in the mood, Pilar. Why don't we just get some sleep--"

"Oh, I think I can get you in the mood." She grinned at him, trailing fingertips down his stomach, even as she slid into position between his legs.

"No, Pilar, please." He pulled back from her, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Maybe you should go."

"Maybe I should, huh? Maybe you don't want the things I can do for you." Her accent thickened as her temper rose, the volume of her voice flaring. She pushed off the bed, gathering clothes up, dark eyes flashing. "You think you're so special, huh? Mr. Famous Rock Star, you can tell me where to go and when to suck your cock? I don't think so!"

She'd struggled into her dress by now, pulled her panties up beneath it; Joey stood, grabbed a pair of boxers, and stepped into them. Then he walked over to the door and opened it. Pilar gave him a hot, haughty glare and, stiff-backed, stomped from the room.

He was dimly surprised to feel nothing as he closed the door and sat back down on the bed. Actually, no; he had to admit that he felt like a complete idiot for allowing Pilar to drag him into bed like that. He'd let his anger at Lindsey -- or, really, at the final failure of their relationship -- goad him into it, and it was a mistake; he didn't know what the hell he was thinking. Maybe that a one-night stand would erase the hurt? More fool he, then. And he certainly didn't need to be thinking about Danica--

Now where had that thought come from? Perhaps Pilar's denigration of the girl had put her in mind. He didn't know how anyone could fail to find Danny an interesting, exciting, quick-witted, clever person -- _then again, consider the source_ , he told himself drily.

Joey wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting up, staring at the blank television screen, when the knock sounded on his door. The tone of it was faint, furtive; surprised to hear it, he stood up -- feeling somewhat listless -- and went over to see who was at the door.

Fisheyed in the peephole's lens was Danica. She was fully dressed; Joey thought he could even glimpse sensible hiking boots on her feet.

Opening the door, he raised an eyebrow at her. "What's up?"

"I, uh--" Danica moved past him, not seeming to see him, instead taking up a pacing pattern in the open area of the suite. "I couldn't sleep, and I saw your light on, and there's this midnight walking tour, I thought maybe you would want to go on it, it's really neat, and you're naked."

She had stopped, blinked at him from the middle of the room. Joey couldn't quite suppress his laughter at her surprise. "I'm not completely naked, I do have shorts on," he corrected her.

"Oh. I'm sorry, you don't want me here--" A blush stained her face bright crimson as the twill shirt she wore; she began to dart for the door.

"No, it's okay, I didn't mean to embarrass you. This tour thing sounds interesting," he said. "Let me throw some clothes on, I'll be right out."

"Okay." Flushed, Danica retreated to the couch, her eyes darting to him and then away again.

Joey kept his smirk to himself as he went into the bedroom. "Any recommendations on what I should wear?" he called through the half-open door.

"Comfortable clothes," she called back. "Shoes that are broken in and have good traction. I've got bug spray, but -- oh, socks, and long sleeves, cause there are a lot of low-hanging branches and vines that could cause allergic reactions."

Shortly enough, Joey emerged from the bedroom in khaki shorts, boots, and a long-sleeve button-down shirt; he saw by her tentative smile that his outfit met with approval, and reached for his wallet and keycard.

"Okay," she said, standing up. "The group's just down the road at the next hotel."

"Oh, so it won't just be us?" Joey felt strangely disappointed at that.

"No, I'm not exactly a jungle guide," Danica replied. "But it's not ever a big group."

"Cool. Let's go."

* * *

They walked in near-silence down the short stretch of road to the next hotel. Danica used a flashlight to keep them on track, commenting occasionally on a flash of wildlife flushed out by the light. Overhead, a canopy of stars glittered, flung across the sky's dome as if strung on a gigantic net. Joey felt a sudden pang when he realized how much he was enjoying this quiet moment. How different it was from only a few hours earlier -- had it only been a few hours? -- when he'd felt dead inside.

All too soon, they arrived at the hotel. A small group of tourists was gathered in a lush little clearing off the hotel's parking lot; a tour guide, apparently a native of the area, was addressing them on what to expect during the tour. Danica turned off the flashlight before approaching them.

"We don't use flashlights?" Joey asked her softly as they joined the group.

Danica shook her head. "No, you get used to the dark. Let your eyes adjust -- you won't need one."

He gave her a dubious look, one eyebrow raised, but obligingly stared off into the darkest shadows at her instruction. After a few minutes, he glanced around, realizing that she was right; his eyes had become used to the darkness, and while outlines weren't as clear as they might be by daylight, still he could make out just about everything around them, limned in moonlight, deepened by shadows of darkest blue.

"Is this why the lights are off out here?" he murmured to her.

Danica gave him a quick smile. "You learn fast."

Soon enough, the guide was gathering them together -- the group consisted mostly of older American tourists, although there were two younger women who kept giving Joey speculative, curious glances -- and led them across the road; a sign there proclaimed, in Spanish and English, the beginning of the nature trail.

"Can I hold your hand?" Joey asked Danica, affecting a goofy, little-boy voice. "I scared."

She giggled, but didn't hesitate to give Joey her hand. Again, that sense of surreality struck him; he felt like a completely different person from the one who'd surrendered sanity to Pilar earlier that evening. This person was one he liked much better.

And how much stranger was it that he was enjoying a nature trail walk at midnight? He recalled a botany class from high school that helped him recognize some of the plantlife pointed out by the tour guide as he passed; long hours spent watching the Discovery Channel on the bus helped him identify some of the fauna that they saw. But it was Danica's company that brought it all together for him; though she'd done the midnight walk before, as she told him, there was always something new to see, and the looks of wonder and surprise on her face were lovely to behold.

 _Damn_ , Joey thought to himself, _there's got to be some guy she's making very happy_. He'd known from the first that this would be a temporary friendship, but it surprised, and bothered, him to think that she had a whole life back in Seattle. He found himself wondering about her house, her friends, where she liked to go and the places she hung out.

Eventually, they took a break in a clearing, a bluff overlooking the sea -- for the benefit of the older walkers, who were huffing just a little. Danny made her way down to a low, wide rock half-buried in the ground. Joey followed her. From their vantage point, a deep ravine could be seen, with a river rushing along at its base. The water's flow was more audible than visible from this angle, and the sound of it was gentle over the distant pounding of surf, closer noises of insects and birds, frogs, night-waking creatures.

"Thanks for asking me to come," Joey said, after a little time had passed.

"You're welcome." Danica's voice was fragile. "I -- my dad used to bring me on these. It was just our time, no Mom, no Jenna."

"I'm honored," he said, and meant it. Then, cautiously, "Your mom... is she -- I'm not quite sure how to say this..."

"An alcoholic?" Danica gave Joey a thin-lipped smile. "Probably. She won't go to a doctor, though. And -- no, don't say it. I've tried every trick in the book." Sighing, she wrapped her arms around her pulled-up knees. "That probably makes me -- oh, what's the word for someone who keeps helping a codependent--"

"An enabler," Joey supplied.

"Yeah, that."

"It's not your fault she drinks," he said. "It's genetic."

"That, and Dad had to go and die on us."

"Danica..." His voice held a hint of reproof.

"I know." She gave him a look that spoke of anger and regret; her eyes were deep, liquid emerald in the dark. "I'm allowed to be mad at him. But him being gone -- it's not a reason for her, just an excuse. I can't forgive her for screwing up Jenna's life, either. Me, I'm okay, but Jenna -- I mean, my kid sister's going to be scarred for life..."

Wordlessly, he wrapped an arm around Danica, squeezing her close in a partial hug. He knew well how intense that feeling of sibling-protectiveness could be; though he didn't have any brothers or sisters of his own, the guys in the group were just as close to him as blood, and his feelings of fear and worry when Lance had been sick were just as real.

"She'll be okay," he told her, murmuring to the top of her head. "Jenna's tough. She'll make it."

* * *

As they walked back towards the hotel, Joey reached for Danica's hand, impulsively squeezed it. She gave him a startled glance; when she looked ahead once more, a pleased little smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"So," he said. "I had fun tonight."

"Yeah? Good. I'm glad." She smiled again. He still hadn't released her hand.

"And I was wondering, maybe, if you'd like to do something tomorrow." He almost felt her surprised reaction, not a flinch so much as a shock that ran through her. "See, I was thinkin', tonight you showed me something you like to do, so tomorrow I'll do the same."

"But didn't you already do that? With the parasailing?" She sounded doubtful.

She was right; Joey gave a mental wince and hurried to cover himself. "No, no, that was an adventure. This is... this is me showing you a good time."

He glanced at her hopefully. She was biting her lip, but then she nodded, with a tentative smile. "All, all right. Should I-- should I dress up?"

"Something nice, something pretty. If you have anything flashy, maybe," he suggested. They'd reached the villa now, and he held the door open for her. "If you want to go shopping, we can do that."

"No, I think I can manage." Pausing at the door of her suite, Danica looked up at him. Something in her wanted to lean up and kiss him, but she carefully denied the impulse. Instead, she squeezed his hand and let it go. "Thanks for coming with me tonight."

"No, I should be thanking you," he said. "That was a lot of fun. OK, so I'll see you tomorrow, around 9:00?" With a grin, he backed away a few steps, then headed down the hall to his rooms. He was already planning things in his head.

* * *

Danica spent the next day in a pleasant haze. She laid on the beach with Jenna, eyes closed, marveling at the surreality of the situation: a cute guy, a guy to whom she was attracted, wanted to take her out, to have fun with her. To show her a good time. The fact that it was Joey Fatone of 'N Sync meant little to her; she was pinching herself as it was just because an attractive guy was showing interest in her. Especially after she'd seen Pilar-- she shied away from that thought.

When Jenna was satisfied with her tan for the day, they went back inside, and Danica began to go through her clothes, feeling a little panic begin to set in as she did so. She hadn't really brought anything that seemed appropriate for Joey's suggestion; mostly she'd packed either for comfort or for eating out, which required classier clothes to meet her mother's satisfaction.

Jenna finally got fed up with her dithering. "Here!" she said, stalking over from her side of the room; she held out a halter-top that tied at the neck and across the back, leaving the back essentially bare. Danica shook her head.

"Your stuff's too small for me, Jen, and besides, I can't wear a bra with that--"

Jenna gave her a long-suffering sigh. "It will too fit you. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm almost as tall as you are now. And you can go without a bra for one night."

Danica blinked. It hadn't struck her before, but now that Jenna had pointed it out, she saw that her little sister was only a few inches shorter than Danica herself, and that Jenna stood with a poise and confidence in her that she'd never before witnessed. "It's not fair," Danica said softly. "You're growing up."

"Shut up," Jenna scowled, thrusting the halter top at her. "Come on, it'll fit. Put it on."

Jenna was right, too; as Danica modeled the top in the mirror, her back cool and bare, she had to admit that it looked pretty good. She wasn't done, of course; Jenna sat her down and applied her makeup, surprisingly expert with it as she lined Danica's eyes and brushed blush on her cheeks.

"You're not supposed to be wearing makeup yet," Danica chided.

"Oh, give me a break, Mom," Jenna grinned. Danica stuck her tongue out, and Jenna rolled her eyes, adding, "Like you ever listen to what Mom tells you to do."

Chuckling, Danica reached for her sister's hands. "Thank you, Jenna. I really -- I mean. I'd be lost without you."

Jenna's cheeks flushed with pride. "You know it."

Just then, Terri's voice sounded from the living room: "Girls!" she called, her tone impatient. Danica exchanged a wary glance with Jenna, then grabbed her purse and key before the two headed together into the main room.

Terri's mouth set immediately into a disapproving curve. "Danica, go get changed. You can't go out to dinner looking like that."

"Dinner?" Jenna said, blinking in surprise.

Danica swallowed hard, forcing herself to look her mother in the eye. "Mom, I have-- I have a date. I can't go with you."

"What?" Terri shook her head, as if she'd merely heard Danica wrong. "No, young lady, we're going out to eat. Go back in there and put some clothes on, and for God's sake, wear a bra."

"I'm not going," Danica said, her voice shaking. "We didn't have plans. You just decided we'd go, and I already told him I'd meet him. I'm going."

"Danica Marie Woodson--"

"Mom! Goddammit, I'm twenty-three years old!" Danica felt herself trembling with anger. "You can't order me around like a child anymore. I made plans, and I'm not breaking them." She almost didn't dare break her gaze, but she wrenched away and stalked to the door, pulling her purse over her shoulder. "Have a nice night out with Jenna. I'll be back later."

"Danica Woodson," Terri began as Danica reached for the doorknob. "Don't you walk out that door--"

"Or what? You'll ground me?" Danica seethed, pulling the door open. "I'm going. Goodnight."

She had never seen her mother too frozen to speak. With an apologetic glance at Jenna, Danica left, letting the door swing shut behind her.

* * *

Joey was waiting in the lobby for her. He was dressed nicely, Danica thought, in long shorts and a t-shirt whose slogan was obscured by the button-down shirt he wore over it. She saw his mouth go open as if he was about to speak; shaking her head, she approached him, her muscles still taut with anger. If it weren't for the inglorious exit she'd just made, she'd ask him for a raincheck, go back to the room, and curl up in bed. "Sorry," she said, unable to quite look at him. "My mom and I had a fight."

"It's all right," he said, sounding a bit astonished. "You're not late. You-- you look. I mean. Wow."

"Thanks." Danica bit her lip, feeling uncomfortable. "So, uh, where are we going?"

"Come on, I'm parked out front." Joey reached for his keys as they headed for the front doors. He could feel the nervous tension radiating from her, as if she might snap at any moment, and part of him thought of changing his plans -- they weren't set in stone, after all, and she looked like she needed to talk. Or hit something. Well, he decided as he opened the car door for her, he'd let her choose when they got there.

"So where are you taking me?" she asked again, once they were on the road.

"Well, I had a place in mind, but-- Let's get there," he said, "and if you're not in the mood, we can go somewhere else."

"OK." Danica shifted in her seat and stared out the window. She hated her mother all over again for doing this -- making her so angry, ruining her good mood, being so petty about controlling her -- when Danica had finally had something she was really looking forward to and wanted to enjoy. It wasn't fair.

"All right," she said, and Joey slanted a confused glance at her. "I mean, whatever you had planned, that's what I want to do."

"You sure?"

"Yep." She nodded firmly. She was not going to let her mother spoil this night.

* * *

Joey saw the panic in Danica's eyes at the entrance of the club, but it only flared for a moment before disappearing, replaced by a determined, stubborn look.

"Come on," he said, leaning in close to be heard over the pounding, vibrant music, "let's go get a drink." She shivered a little and nodded, looking up at him. His glance over her was automatic -- he was so used to checking girls out -- but the flicker of arousal that licked through him, when he saw the shape of her breasts through the thin fabric of her halter top, surprised him.

At the bar, he ordered a beer for himself and an amaretto sour, per her request. Before the drinks had even arrived, a guy came up and slid in next to Danica; he was tall, bronze with sun, his hair bleached from it, and he smiled charmingly down at her. Joey saw, more than heard, his mouth as he spoke to her: "Want to dance, gorgeous?"

Danica looked up at Joey, wary, as if asking permission, and he swallowed and gave her a smile. Clearly -- and this surprised him -- she hadn't been expecting this sort of attention. He gave her an encouraging nod. With a strange look in her eyes, she turned back to the guy, nodding; he took her hand, and they headed for the dance floor.

It bothered Joey for reasons he couldn't name. He reached for his newly-arrived beer, taking a long pull from it, and then another. After he'd finished it, he decided dancing might be good; maybe it would make him stop staring at Danica, who was now moving lithely, easily, in a narrow radius around the guy who'd asked her to dance.

He was only on the floor for a few moments when a girl approached him, a slender blonde wearing little more than legality permitted. He smiled down at her, and she grinned back, turning to shake her ass against his groin. _Shameless_... he swallowed and looked up at Danica again. She was closer to the guy, his hands on her waist, both of them moving in the same groove. Joey wrenched his gaze back to the blonde, put his hands around her hips, and she gave a delighted laugh. It grated on his ears.

For a few minutes, he managed to conquer the weird feelings, turning and twisting with the girl, her hands draping over his neck when she turned back to face him, and he felt himself stirring. Maybe if he slept with her... The thought of Pilar interrupted that idea cold.

As the blonde spun away again, Joey caught a glimpse of Danica again. She had a new partner now, a dark-skinned guy who gazed down at her with a look Joey recognized all too well; lust, desire, without any need for more complicated emotions. Something like anger surged in Joey's veins. Suddenly, he realized that he had been looking at Danica in a whole new light. And the sight of her dancing with the guys in the club gave him an odd feeling that he could only classify as jealousy. But he couldn't be jealous of her; he just wouldn't let himself be, that was all there was to it.

But it was hard to see her with them, all the same. Firmly, Joey told himself that he was feeling protective of her, in the way a brother would of his younger sister.

"Hey!" the blonde complained. "Are you going to look at her all night?"

Joey looked down at the petite girl, barely dressed in a bikini top and skimpy sarong whose pale colors emphasized her darkly-tanned skin. Somewhere in the course of the evening, the attraction he'd felt to her at first sight had disappeared, and he felt a certain amount of distaste, now, seeing the pout on her face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was. Thanks for the dance."

She rolled her eyes, gave a little "hmph!" and sauntered off, evidently annoyed at her dismissal. Joey had already forgotten about her by the time he returned to the bar, ordering another beer. Not the best idea, he thought, but tonight he needed to get drunk. He wanted to forget the whole week, the mess with Pilar, everything. Everything except Danica.

He looked for her again, found her instantly: a magnet to the attraction of his gaze. One of the guys was dancing alone with her now, and the sight brought on an undeniable surge of something that felt a lot like jealousy, and the thought: _I should be the one dancing with her_. Now where did that come from?

Strange how that inflamed him even in the half-drunk haze: the guy's hands were on her hips, guiding her in a rhythmic, sensual motion (an image struck his brain without warning: _she riding him, straddling his hips, breasts bare to the moonlight, dark hair flowing free over her shoulders_ ), and her face was turned up to the guy's, like a flower open to the sun. The man's head bent, obscuring her face; he seemed to be whispering something in her ear, perhaps trying to say something in order to be heard over the music's high volume.

Joey turned deliberately away from them. He had only himself to blame for this mess.

* * *

When Danica sat down next to him at the bar, he didn't notice at first; so many people had come and gone that the night seemed like a blur. Then she leaned her head on his shoulder, and he turned with sharp alarm. Her face was flushed, her chest heaving, and she was sweating from the effort of dancing. But the flush came from more, he thought, and he turned to the bartender for a moment to order a water.

"Joey?" she said with a soft sigh. "I don' wanna dance no more."

"OK," he said. "All right, well, how about if you have some water, and then we can go ahead and take off."

"'Kay," she murmured. She slumped her elbows on the bar, dropping her face into her hands. "I think that fucker spiked my Coke."

Joey turned around, looking to see who she'd been dancing with last. The faces merged in his memory, though he did see two or three guys watching her. He snarled and turned back to Danica, just in time for the water to arrive. Uncapping the bottle, he gave it to her.

"I just wanted a Coke," she muttered in between sips. "I don't like it, I don't like getting drunk."

"Don't blame you," he said. He enjoyed getting drunk, but he was usually aware of what he was doing when he did so. "How's the water?"

"Cold. Good." She drank some more, then put the bottle down, half-empty.

"You think you want to be sick?"

"Oh, God, no." Her face went white under the flush of alcohol. "No, but, but I don't think I have to either. Can we, can we go?"

"Sure." Joey got to his feet and helped her up, letting her rest on him, his arm around her shoulders. The club wasn't as full as it had been earlier, and it was relatively easy to steer her out through the clumps of people by the entrance and through the doors. It wasn't far to the car, and he carefully strapped her in, trying not to touch anything -- his arms came perilously close to her breasts, which he couldn't stop himself from seeing now, especially since the nipples had peaked and showed clearly through the fabric -- _oh, God_ , he thought to himself, and shut the car door. One thing he absolutely refused to do was take advantage of an inebriated girl. Especially this one.

* * *

The ride back to the villa was slow, because Joey was nervous about taking turns too quickly and upsetting her stomach. They made it without stopping, though, and Joey cautiously helped Danica out of her seatbelt and to her feet.

"Joey? I don't feel so good."

"I know, honey. Come on," he urged as they stumbled through the parking lot towards the cilla.

Danica lurched against Joey, who fought to ignore the feeling of her breasts on his chest. "But I only wanted a Coke. Why did he do that, Joe?"

"Cause he's an asshole. Step, Danny. Step."

"My mom's gonna kill me."

"Why don't you come lay down in my room for a while?" he offered, realizing even as he said it how it sounded. "Just until you don't feel so bad. Sit out the hangover a bit."

"You can do that?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah. Come on, work with me here."

"Carry me, Joe, I can't wal--walk." She stumbled again. Throwing caution to the wind, Joey carefully swept her up into his arms. She was light, small, curling limply against him. Joey thought dark thoughts about the asshole as he carried Danica up the stairs and down the hall to his room.

He had to set her down again to unlock his door; she leaned heavily on him while he fumbled for his key, eventually finding it and sliding it into the deadbolt. Another whole process of urging Danica back into motion ensued before he finally managed to get her walking again, at least as far as his couch.

Danica collapsed there, a clumsy pile of slender limbs, dark hair hanging about her face to obscure her glassy eyes. She hiccuped, twisted her face up to look at him wanly. "Joey, I'm s-sorry," she mumbled.

"Why? It's not your fault." He moved into the bathroom to wet a washcloth, bringing it back along with the trashcan -- just in case. Sitting down next to her, he gently leaned her back on the couch, applying the cloth to her forehead.

She made a soft noise at the feel of the cool cloth. "'Cause I spoiled your evening. 'Cause... 'cause I'm such a moron."

"You are not, and you did not ruin my evening." _Anymore than it was already ruined_ , he added to himself. "Now stop apologizing. How does that feel?"

"It feels good," she admitted. She rolled her head slowly against the back of the couch, looking at him; her eyes were dark and glazed, tearful. "I'm gonna miss you, Joey."

"I'll miss you too," he replied with unguarded honesty. He was sure she wouldn't remember this part of the night anyway. "You looked nice dancing out there."

"Why didn't you dance with me? I wanted you to." Her voice was plaintive now. "God, I'd give anything to dance with you."

"I'm sorry." And he was. "I didn't know you wanted me to. I would have."

"Would you--" She paused to hiccup, looking startled. "Would you dance with me now?"

"Hon, you shouldn't be moving," he said, all too familiar with the spectacular results of overindulgence in regards to alcohol.

"I... I'm never going to see you again." And damn, there they were, two tears trickling down her face, staining the makeup on her cheeks. She sniffled hard. "I'm never going to see you after tomorrow, and, and I'm drunk, Joey, I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

"No, you're not." Privately, he thought that she was, but it was the kind of pathetic that made him want to hold her close and reassure her that everything would be all right. "Okay, we'll dance. You sit here, and I'll put some music on."

"Okay." Her voice was a whisper. He stood and moved to the cabinet with the television, opening it and finding a music-only channel. Mindful of the late hour, he turned the volume down to a tolerable level, then turned back to the couch.

Danica was snoring faintly, her eyes closed and the washcloth slipping down over her nose.

Joey bit his lip. Danica always had something kittenish about her, but the way she looked right now, asleep in a little heap on the couch, made him want to cuddle her into his arms, to shield her somehow -- probably from the intensity of the hangover she'd be feeling tomorrow morning.

He sat down next to her with a sigh. It was useless to deny his feelings for her any longer; he liked Danica quite a bit, more than he'd expected to. She was pretty, sweet, with a ready laugh and a wicked mind, her caring heart plain to see. _Man_ , he thought to himself, _you've got it bad_. He hadn't wanted this to happen, especially on the heels of everything with Lindsey. Long-distance relationships had never been his thing.

Right now, though, he was hating that about himself. He liked Danica, beyond the purely physical -- and there was definitely a physical attraction to her, he wanted to taste her mouth, feel her body against his -- but he liked her as a person, too, wanted to know more about her. No, he told himself sternly, realizing he was leaning closer to her. Shaking his head, he jostled her shoulder. When that didn't work, he gave her a firmer shake, and her head rolled toward him.

"Nuh," she said.

"Come on, Danny, wake up. You have to go back to your room." It took a while, but eventually she stirred, blinking blearily up at him.

"Don't want to," she said, even as he helped her to her feet. "Mom's mad at me."

"I know, but your mom'll be even madder if you stay here, so I'm afraid you can't." Carefully he put an arm around her waist, guiding her to the door.

"Can't I?" She looked up at him, sweet in her sleep-induced stupor, and he had to swallow and look away, reaching for the doorknob instead.

"I'm sorry, Danny, but it'll be all right. I promise. And if you stayed, they wouldn't be."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed and fumbled with her purse, still strung over her shoulder, to retrieve her key from within. "Well. Thanks--" she swallowed, as they got down the hall to her door. "Sorry I ruined the night."

"You didn't," Joey assured her. "Will you be all right?"

Danica lowered her head as she carefully fitted the key into the lock. "Sure," she said. "I'll probably be in a lot of pain in the morning, but right now, yeah."

"OK." Joey fought the urge to touch her. "See you tomorrow, then."

Nodding once more, Danica slipped into the dark room and closed the door, quiet as she could be. Joey stood and stared at the closed door for a full minute before he turned and headed back to his room.

* * *

He woke early, feeling oddly clear despite the fact that he'd only had a few hours of sleep, and decided to grab breakfast -- telling himself decisively that it wasn't because he was hoping to see Danica there.

The dining room was occupied with other guests of the villa, but Joey was disappointed, after a long moment, not to see Danica's dark head anywhere. He took a seat and picked up the menu, wondering if she just hadn't woken up yet.

"Joey," gasped a voice, and he looked up to see Jenna sliding into the seat opposite him. His momentary annoyance faded into concern when he saw the anxiety in her face.

"What is it?" he asked, putting down the menu and leaning forward.

"What happened last night? Mom's furious, Danny's not allowed out of the room 'til we leave tomorrow -- Mom's really mad at whoever it was Danny went out with, so if she finds out it was you--"

"Oh, man." Joey shook his head. "I don't. She grounded her?"

"Pretty much." Jenna tilted her head, curious and worried.

Joey sighed. "But nothing happened. We went out dancing, had a few drinks. This guy she was dancing with kept buying her Jack-and-Cokes, she didn't realize, so I brought her back and let her relax on my couch 'til she sobered up a bit. That's it, I swear."

Jenna looked down, biting her lip. "Mom, uh. I think it's because they fought yesterday, maybe, but she's just. She's really mad, she kinda went off on her."

"Shit." Joey rubbed his face. "I wanted to talk to her today, make sure she was OK."

"Well, she had a bad headache when she got up, but other than that, she's fine, I think." Jenna peered at him, her green eyes intent; just then, the waiter appeared, and she sat back while Joey gave his order. Once the water had gone, she leaned in again, lowering her voice. "Mom and I are gonna be out this afternoon. She wants to do some last-minute shopping, and I could, I could probably get her to stay out for dinner too, if, uh. If you think that might be enough time."

Joey blinked across the table at Jenna, not comprehending what she meant for a moment; then realization hit, and he opened his mouth in surprise. She was offering to go behind her mother's back to let him see Danica today.

"Are you sure?" he said softly. "Will it be all right?"

"Yeah." Jenna smiled a little. "She, uh, she really likes you, and, well. You like her, too, right?"

Joey nodded at that, unable to prevent the smile that crept over his face. "Yeah. I think so."

"Well, all right, then." Peremptorily, Jenna stood, brushed off her hands. "I'll knock on your door when we leave, so you'll know when it's cool to come by, OK?" She grinned at him, and Joey smiled back, conspiratorial.

"OK," he said. "Thanks, Jenna, seriously. I really appreciate it."

"Just make Danica happy," she replied. "I'm tired of seeing her mope around."

"Will do." Joey winked, and Jenna grinned back at him before heading out of the dining room. As the waiter approached with his breakfast, Joey felt himself deflate a little. He was glad that he'd be able to see Danny, but he wasn't so sure that he'd be able to fulfill Jenna's request without hurting anyone else.

* * *

Joey paced nervously in his room all morning. He'd showered, found a decent outfit to wear, made himself as presentable as he could, and now he waited, agitated, for Jenna's signal. He didn't know what to expect from Danica; she might even be mad at him, but he really hoped not.

He'd started to feel like he couldn't wait another moment, that he'd just burst out of the room and into Danica's, when he heard the knock on the door, a series of quick raps. Joey bolted for the door, but pulled himself short before he opened it, realizing that he'd have to give Jenna and her mother time to leave the villa. He sat down on the bed and, lower lip between his teeth, watched the clock on the nightstand tick off five long minutes. Then, quietly, he went to the door and opened it, peered out.

The hallway was empty. Breathing a sigh of relief, he headed down to Danica's suite, knocked on the door.

A long moment passed, and Joey's heart raced; maybe Danny had gone back to sleep, or she'd gone out with her family after all, or she just didn't want to see him. But then the door swung open, and Danica stood there, blinking up at him, her eyes clearly confused. She still looked a little on the fatigued side, with dark circles under her eyes; her hair was tied back into a messy ponytail, and she wore a bathrobe over a tank top and sleep shorts. "Joey?" she said, sounding stunned.

"Can I come in?" he asked. She seemed not to register his question for a moment; then, blinking, she nodded and stepped back and let him enter the room.

"I, well. I wanted to see how you were," he said softly, once the door was closed behind him.

"Oh, hangover from hell and all that, but other than that..." She shrugged, turned away to head to one of the bedrooms; after a moment, Joey followed. "Aside from the screaming this morning, yeah, I'm fine."

Joey swallowed, leaning in the door frame to watch Danica; she sat down on one of the beds, reaching for a water bottle on the night stand. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Why?" She looked up, and her dark eyes were clear and open. "I mean, I'm the one who kept drinking, and I knew it tasted funny from the first drink. And it's not your fault my mom's a hypocritical, controlling--" She cut herself off with a shudder. "God. She kills me."

Joey came into the room, sat down next to her. "What happened?"

"She woke me up, and, God, it just. She was already mad because of the way I left, so she was yelling at me for breaking her so-called dinner plans. And it didn't really matter that there were never any plans made, you know?" Danica stared at the bottle in her hands, then tipped it up and took a long drink before setting it down on the nightstand. "Then it was, I stayed out too late, I got drunk, I acted irresponsibly, I'm a horrible role model for Jenna... God." She rubbed her hands over her face. "So much bullshit, and it ended up with -- you know, I'm twenty-three damn years old, and she grounded me. Told me I wasn't allowed to leave the room until we leave for the airport tomorrow. Don't you love that?"

"Man," Joey breathed. "That's really kind of fucked up."

Danica managed a little smile. "Welcome to my life. She doesn't even want me moving out on my own, because -- she claims we've had too much loss already."

"I'm sorry," Joey said, and reached for her hand, twining their fingers together. She made a little sound, looking at their hands, and then turned her gaze up to his face.

"Why are you here?" she asked, wariness creeping into her eyes, as if she'd only just become aware of his presence.

"I, uh." Joey squeezed her hand, preventing her from pulling away. "I ran into Jenna in the dining room, she told me you'd be alone if I wanted to talk to you. She's sharp, you know?"

"Jenna." Danica snorted a little, shaking her head in amusement. "That girl. You know, Mom worries about her being a bad influence on me, but she's the one who did my makeup and lent me her halter top last night."

"I wouldn't call that a bad influence," Joey said without thinking, a sudden memory of how Danica had looked in that halter top filling his brain, and felt Danica tense next to him. "I thought you were gorgeous."

Danica huffed out a sound like laughter. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious." Joey turned a little, bringing their joined hands up between them so that he could kiss her knuckles. "I think any guy would be incredibly lucky to have you." That was, he thought, the closest he could get to admitting his own feelings without putting too much of a burden on her.

"But I don't want any guy," she whispered, and her other hand came up to cover his. "Last night, I don't remember everything, but I remember seeing you dancing with that girl. Wishing it was me you were dancing with."

"Danica," Joey said softly. He didn't want to leave her wanting him when he couldn't fulfill her hopes.

"Joe," she said, looking up again to meet his eyes. Even with her messy hair, the tiredness in her eyes, she was beautiful. "I know this can't ever be anything. I'm not asking for anything you can't give me. I just. I just want you, just for now."

She surged up and kissed him, so unexpected that it took him a moment to realize that she was pressed to him, her arms around his neck, one hand slipping through his hair. He couldn't repress the moan that rose at the feel of her body, the press of breasts, of belly, that had tormented and teased him last night.

"Oh, God, Danica," he gasped into her mouth. "I don't--"

"Please, Joe," Danica said, and grabbed his shirt. Pulled, leaning back on the bed, and he fell over her. His palms went flat, bracing his body, and he moved comfortably into the cradle of her body. She ran a thigh up alongside his, cupped his face in her hands. "Shh," she said, silencing the protest he was about to offer; tilted her head up, and met his lips with her own.

Joey's last resistance melted into the kiss. He didn't want to think about it, only wanted the warmth and energy she offered, wanted to give her this moment that she so desired. Her hands skated over his back, restless and eager, while he pressed his tongue into her mouth to taste her. She wriggled a little beneath him, taut, needy, her hands pushing under the hem of his shirt, raking the fabric up.

It was a moment's work to strip his shirt off, and then he leaned over her again, nuzzling her neck, savoring the warm sweet taste of her skin, the scent of sandalwood still faint in her hair. He pushed a hand inside her open robe, and she pushed up a little, wriggling her arms out of the robe's sleeves.

"Jesus," she breathed, slid her palms up Joey's back, and he shivered to feel her tender exploration, especially when she skated them down into the waistband of his shorts. He wanted to be naked right then, wanted to be inside her now, to possess her and be possessed by her. Breathing hard, he reined in the wave of lust, fighting it down and under control. Laying a little on his side next to her, he kissed her again, licking into her mouth, as he pushed a hand under her tank top. Beneath the shirt, she wore nothing, and he groaned when his fingers brushed the soft skin of her breast.

She nodded, silent permission, and he drew her shirt up, lifting her up to get it over her head. "God," he murmured, mesmerized by the sight of her bare skin, the unselfconscious way she lay open to him. Lowering his head to kiss her, he cupped one breast in a big hand, letting his thumb tease the satin-soft nipple into hardness. Her gasp and moan, the way she arched up, rewarded him, thrilled him; he groaned, too, hungry and wanting.

"Please," she said again. He wasn't sure for a moment what she wanted, but when he lowered his head to her breast, mouthing at the nipple then sucking on it, she whimpered in a shocked, aroused tone, and he shuddered.

One of her hands sank into his hair, the other trailing over his back, his chest; he came up to kiss her again, pulling her tight to him, and they rolled easily until he laid on his back and she was sprawled over him. Danica grinned at this turn of events, dipped her head to lick at his neck, taste the skin over his collarbone. When her tongue painted a warm swath on his nipple, he gasped, and then shook when he realized that she was moving lower, nuzzling his soft belly, deft fingers undoing his belt and fly.

"Oh, Jesus," he gasped. She looked up at him with a smile, eyes dancing, dazzling; then she went back to her work, tugging his shorts and briefs down over his sizable erection. Her first touch was anything but tentative; she took him in her hand, a slow, sure stroke, and he couldn't speak for a moment, so overwhelmed by sensation, by her confidence, her forwardness. Then she leaned over, bracing herself with her free hand; when her warm tongue bathed the head of his cock, he couldn't restrain his throaty moan.

"Danica," he managed to say. "I want--"

"I know," she said, thick with need. "I do, too." Her head dipped again and Joey watched through a haze of hunger as his cock disappeared by slow degrees into her mouth.

As incredible as it was, he could only take it for a minute or so; any longer and he'd be gone. "Danny," he gasped. "God, please, that's so good, I'm not gonna last--"

With a little unhappy sound, she pulled back and let him slip free of her mouth, and even the way she wiped her mouth made him wild with lust. He reached for her and she came back to him, aligning their bodies; their moans flared together, matched in intensity, as skin met skin, as he pushed them over so that he was above her once more. His erection caught between her legs, pressing into the thin cotton of her sleep shorts, the inviting heat that spun his head with want; she made a throaty, needy sound, wriggling up to try and get the shorts off.

"Here," Joey said, half-laughing, and sat up to slide her shorts down and off her legs. He had to take a moment just to appreciate her, the fine, compact beauty of her, her careless and frank hunger, pure and uncomplicated. Belatedly, and dimly through the haze of his body clamoring for her, he realized that he'd forgotten something, and leaned over to grab his shorts off the floor.

"Joey?" Danica said, confused.

He pushed up again with a chuckle. "Sorry, I just." Grinning, he pulled out his wallet, found the condom he'd hoped to see in there, and flickered it between his fingers as he dropped his wallet to the floor again.

"Oh. Yeah." She smiled, too, leaned up to take the packet from him. Tearing it open, she slid close to him, both of them on their knees, and reached for his cock, which bobbed at her touch. He couldn't help but hiss as she rolled the condom down over him, and then she fell back, giggling, pulling on his hands so that he came with her.

"Come on," she breathed, cupping his face in her hands, and he smiled down at her as she lifted her legs around his waist. Gently, he got himself into position, fitted himself to her, gave a long, slow roll of his hips to push into her. She throbbed, wet heat drawing him in, and her mouth opened, wide and soundless.

"Ah, ah-- oh, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, you feel so good," he gasped. He wanted nothing more than to stay here, cradled in the impossibly sweet heat, but the instincts of his body drew his hips back, rolled him in again, like waves rolling in on a beach, impossible to stop, and now she cried out in a ragged wordless voice.

It was too much, and he was so turned on; he knew he wouldn't last long like this, not with his body already speeding the delicious rhythm. He wanted to make this last, to make it good for her. Pulling back, he slipped out of her. She looked up at him, confused.

"Turn, roll on your side," he said, and she did, tucking her knees up toward her chest as he instructed her. He ran a hand down her back, over her spine, and then lay down behind her. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her back, flush to his chest.

Cradled to her, his cock lined up to her damp heat, he placed himself and rocked in again. Danica gasped, her voice raw. "Oh God -- yeah -- that's--"

"Good?" he murmured in her ear, sucked at a mouthful of skin where her neck met her shoulder. The scent of sandalwood in her hair permeated his senses.

"Yeah -- it's -- I can feel you all up inside me," she breathed, sounding stunned. One hand reached back to hold his hip. He nudged slowly, dizzied by the welcoming heat of her, the way she arched back to eagerly meet his thrusts. He cupped a breast in his free hand, rolled the nipple, pinched it, loving the way she shuddered against him.

He trailed his hand down her side, excited beyond measure by her faint gasps, her inarticulate sounds of pleasure. She turned her head back, reaching to cup his nape and kiss him, hot and urgent and wet; at the same time, he slipped his trailing hand between her legs, finding her hard clitoris and running two fingers over it.

She moaned, startled, into his mouth, hips straining against his groin, her hands scrabbling for something to hold. He licked her neck, rolling now; she raised her leg to give him better access. His hand cupped her mound briefly before he traced patterns over her clit again.

"Oh, oh--" The pitch of her moans lifted, words getting lost in the helpless cries, and all at once she shook hard against him, her whole body thrumming as she cried out in a shivering high tone. It severed the last thread of control he'd been trying to hold to; with a low gasp, he pushed hard into her, his last thrusts rhythmless as orgasm shook him.

For a few moments they lay together, unmoving, his hand cupped, still, between her legs; he let his forehead rest against her shoulder as he tried to remember how to breathe.

"Jesus, Joey," she finally managed. He laughed a little and put his arm around her waist, squeezing her to him. "You. Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah," he said softly. "That was pretty incredible." A lot more fulfilling than some of his recent encounters, too, he thought, but he didn't particularly feel like going there on any level. He slipped back, sliding out of her, and fumbled the condom off.

Danica pushed to lay on her back, hands resting loosely on her waist, and watched him stand to tie the condom and throw it out. He was tall, broad, and, sure, thick -- but it was in such a strong way; his thighs had pinned her down to the mattress so securely... she shivered in remembrance.

He came back to the bed and sat down next to where she lay. She reached out, running her hand up along his arm, and he smiled and leaned down to kiss her, tender now, gentle and affectionate.

"Thank you," she whispered, eyes closed, at the end of the kiss.

"You don't have to thank me," he murmured, shifting closer.

"No, I mean. This is just. You're so amazing, everything, it was perfect." She swallowed, and he turned himself and lay down on the bed, gathering her close again, a little worried. But when she looked up at him again, she was smiling, her eyes clear.

"I think I'm in love with you," she said. He felt a shock go through him -- this was exactly what he hadn't wanted, to leave her with a love that couldn't be fulfilled -- but she shook her head, pressed her fingers to his lips. "It's OK. You don't have to love me back. I'm just -- I'm so incredibly happy just to have this moment. I know I won't see you again after this, we -- we just live too far apart, and I have all these problems with my family that I have to deal with, so it's not like I can just up and move to be with you. So it's OK. I'm just glad I got to have this time with you."

Her eyes were dark, though with what emotion Joey couldn't tell, but he bent to her and kissed her again, unable to speak. It wasn't fair, he thought, acknowledging the immaturity of the sentiment. He couldn't leave her now. But she'd been honest with him, and at the very least, he could respect that honesty and return it.

"Danica," he said, soft, touching her lower lip with his thumb. "I want you to know that I -- I. You've really, you're just amazingly special, and I like you a lot, and I wish we weren't leaving, because I want to stay here with you and just get to know you and... and this just isn't enough."

Danica gulped, her eyes gone watery. "Yeah. I, I want that, too. But we can't have that. God. This sucks, but this is all we get to have."

Joey shook his head, eyes closed. "Then let's make it as good as we can, while we can," he said, and moved over her again.

* * *

He didn't want to leave, but Danica finally forced him to get dressed and go, painfully aware of the fact that they might be caught. At the door, they kissed again, slow and easy, with a solemn finality to it. He'd given her his phone number, argued hers out of her, and as he walked back down to his room, he stowed the scrap of paper in his wallet for safekeeping. Already he missed her, even though she was just down the hall from him.

Somehow, he told himself determinedly, they'd figure out a way to work this out. It wouldn't be like it had been with Lindsey. He'd enjoyed being with her; they had had fun, both in and out of bed, but his feelings hadn't been so intense, so real.

He glanced at the clock as he closed the door behind himself. It was late, and he had to get up early to get to the airport on time. As he began to throw clothes into his bag, he whistled cheerfully, sure in his heart that it would be all right.

* * *

By the time her mother and Jenna returned from the day's outing, Danica had managed -- barely -- to take a shower and air out the bedroom, which smelled strongly of sex, as well as clean up the mess they'd made (shivering, all the while, to remember how they'd made it). Terri evidently approved of the way Danica had apparently passed the afternoon -- in silent contemplation of her mistakes -- and Danica, relieved, accepted the extra entree they'd ordered at dinner, realizing that she was ravenous. As well she should be, she thought to herself with a private smile.

Later, when the lights were out, Jenna whispered, "So?"

Danica smiled in the darkness. "So what?"

Jenna made an exasperated sound. "So, so did he come over?"

"Yeah." Danica breathed in; she could still smell his scent on the pillowcase.

"Yeah? So, tell me, what happened?"

"I'll tell you when you're older." Danica grinned to herself at her sister's frustrated growl.

She couldn't deny that she was upset about things, too. In the last week or so, ever since she'd literally run into Joey, she'd liked him, first on a simply physical level and then as she'd discovered the sweet, genuinely nice guy beneath, the caring and warmth of him. To learn that he found her attractive, after she'd already written it off as a hopeless, one-sided crush, was still a bit beyond her belief, and if it wasn't for the pleasant soreness of her thighs and the smell of him buried in the pillowcase, she'd probably just think that the afternoon had been a sweet fantasy. But it was bittersweet, because while she'd been able to touch him, kiss him, hold him, and while he'd even confessed to his own interest in her (which she was half-sure he'd done just to be nice, because of what she'd told him), it was over now. She'd never see him again, except maybe on MTV in some video, or on some award show.

But she knew that she would make the same choice again. At least now she knew what it felt like to hold him.

* * *

Of course, he overslept. Joey cursed at himself all the way to the airport. He'd set his alarm, but then, in his usual style, had hit the snooze button several times, and he'd forgotten to allow time to check out of Casa Salvaje and to return the rental car. By the time he got to the airport, he was thanking God and every saint he could remember that the place was so small.

As he waited for the clerk to print his boarding pass, absently trying to remember when the last time was that he'd had to do this for himself, he saw a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye, heading toward the security area. _Danica!_ he thought, recognizing her chestnut hair, and then caught sight of Jenna's blond bob on one side of her, her mother on the other. _Come on, come on_ , he prayed in silent supplication to the clerk; when she handed over his ticket, he grabbed it, heaved his bag up to the area between desks, and took off.

The concourse was small, but only one security gate was open, and Joey cursed again, mentally this time, as he waited impatiently to get through the line. Finally on the other side, he looked down the two wings that led to the gates, trying to guess which flight she'd be on. There -- down the left-hand side, he saw her again, approaching a gate. It was boarding; he could see other people in line to pass through the doors.

Over the loudspeaker, he heard his own flight announced -- his gate was down here, too, thank Christ -- but he bypassed it, sprinting towards Danica's gate. She didn't notice him -- she was moving through the door -- before he could reach the gate, the attendants swung the heavy door shut and locked it.

"Goddammit," he swore, leaning over to heave in lungfuls of air. She was gone. With a last glance at the doors, he turned and headed back to his own gate, feeling her loss more keenly than ever.

* * *

His house seemed startlingly empty and dark; when he got in, the first thing he did was turn on some lights. After the flight, which, thanks to turbulence, had been unpleasant at best, all he wanted to do now was sleep. He dropped his bags in the living room and hit the playback button on the answering machine.

-BEEP-

"Hey, it's Justin. You back yet? Yo, gimme a call. We got a meeting Monday morning, if Johnny didn't tell you. Uh, lemme know how your vacation went. Bye!"

That message had been left a few hours earlier; Joey smiled a little as it was followed by similar ones from the others. Then there was one from his mom, which made him smile; she just wanted to know how the trip had gone, but it was nice to hear her voice all the same. The last was from Johnny, confirming the meeting Justin had mentioned. He assumed they'd probably be discussing plans for the next part of the tour, the end of the year, maybe the next record.

As the answering machine rewound, he realized that the message he'd been dreading wasn't there: Lindsey hadn't called. He should have known that she wouldn't, but it would have been nice, after all the phone tag he'd been playing earlier in the week. _I'd rather talk to Danny anyway_ , he thought, feeling disconsolate. Yawning, he headed upstairs to get some rest in his comfortable, familiar bed.

* * *

On Monday, he came home from a series of meetings at the WEG Compound, feeling more than a little spent. The phone rang while he was fetching a beer from the fridge, and he grabbed the can opener with one hand and the phone in the other. "Yeah?"

"Joey?"

It wasn't the voice he'd been hoping for, but it was a surprise nonetheless. "Lindsey," he said, feeling suddenly cold inside.

"Hey, uh." She sounded nervous, which was unlike her. "I got your messages. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I've been busy."

"Classes," he said distantly.

"Mmm. And. Well." She sighed, and he just waited, suddenly sure of what she was about to say. "I kinda. Don't be mad, OK? There's this guy I've sort of been seeing."

He sat down at the kitchen table, the bottle opener dangling from his hand. "Yeah. I kind of had a feeling," he said. Oddly, it didn't hurt as much as he'd thought it would.

"Oh," she said. "Well, I. I'm really sorry I haven't been around. I should have, I should have said something, I know."

"Yeah, it would have been nice, instead of me calling and finding out you moved without telling me." He couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of his voice; but then he sighed. He couldn't maintain the anger, either. "It's all right," he said. "I mean, things happen. And we're. I don't think we were ever in a real relationship to begin with anyway."

"I kinda hoped, for a bit," she said, just a hint of rare wistfulness in her voice. "But. Yeah, I don't think it was meant to be."

Joey made a soft noise of agreement. "It was fun, though, huh?"

"It was," Lindsey said. "And I hope, I hope you find someone who can be there for you. You deserve that."

Thinking of Danica, Joey closed his eyes. "Well, we'll see, I guess. I hope things work out for you, too."

"Thanks." She paused, then, sighing a little. "I'm sorry, I have to get going."

"Yeah. Uh, take care of yourself, all right? And if this guy doesn't treat you right, I'll beat him up for you."

She chuckled at that, and it made him smile. "All right."

Once the line was disconnected, he turned the phone off, tossing it to the table, and got up to retrieve his beer. While he'd more or less been expecting that conversation for some time now, it hadn't made it any easier. Worse, it made him miss Danica. He opened the beer automatically and headed into the den. His parents were expecting him in a couple of hours, but until then, all he wanted to do was vegetate.

* * *

Danica put the phone down and got up, a grin crossing her face. "I'm in," she said to Jenna, who'd been sitting on the couch, listening in.

"They hired you?"

Danica nodded, then laughed as Jenna jumped up and hugged her. They spun together for a moment, both giggling, before Danica let go and fell back to the couch, eyes glowing with elation.

"Oh, man. Danny! You're gonna be so far away. Why can't I go with you?" Jenna collapsed on the floor by her sister, pouting up at her, the effect spoiled by her giggles.

"You've gotta finish school, brat." Danica smiled fondly down at her sister. "Besides, it's probably not all that exciting, anyway."

"Of course it is! It's Orlando!" Brightening, Jenna sat up and leaned on the couch. "Hey, can I come visit you?"

"Visit you where?"

The sisters looked up as one to see their mother standing in the entranceway, purse in hand; she'd obviously just returned from work, and in their glee, Danica and Jenna hadn't heard her come in.

Danica stood up, clearing her throat; she smiled, though it was more nervous than before. "It's -- I have good news. You know I've been looking for a job and all? Well, I had an interview with this one place last week, and they called me back today. They like me, they like me work, and they want me to start in two weeks?"

"Really?" Terri's eyes widened with pleasure, and she came into the room to hug Danica, her smile proud. "Honey, that's fantastic."

"I know." Danica grinned, inwardly trying to keep up the high spirits. Maybe, just maybe, she could get this past her. "And it's really good salary, benefits, 401k, everything. They don't pay moving expenses, but I figured--"

"Moving expenses?" Terri pulled back, a dubious look in her eyes. "But why would you be moving? Where is this place?"

"Well, it's-- they have a location here, but they want me to work in their satellite office in Orlando. Florida," she added, feeling stupid, when her mother's expression didn't change. Squaring her shoulders, she inhaled. "I figure I should go down there next week, see if I can find an apartment--"

Terri shook her head, brow creasing into a familiar frown. "No, I don't think so, young lady. You'll have to call them back and tell them you can't take the job."

"What?!" Danica had expected some resistance, but the imperious tone in Terri's voice shocked her. "Why? Mom, this is perfect for me, it's exactly what I've been looking for--"

"There is no way in hell I'm letting you move across the country and abandon this family--" Terri paused, inhaling sharply, and tossed her purse to an end table. "Jenna, go to your room."

Jenna got to her feet, glaring mutinously at her mother. "I think you should let her go."

"You don't get a say," Terri snapped. "Go to your room before I ground you for a week."

Jenna scowled and left the room, but stopped on the stairs. Danica couldn't help but smile, seeing her sister's face pressed to the railing posts. Her smile faded, though, when her mother leveled a stare on her.

"How could you do this to me? Going behind my back like this, trying to get as far away as you could--"

Danica held in the sigh of exasperation she wanted to let out. "Mom," she said, "I wasn't going behind your back. You were the one who wanted me to get a job, you've been saying it ever since we got back from Mexico, right? And you've seen me sending out resumes for two months, it's not like it was a big secret."

"Yes, but--"

"Let me finish." Danica moved back to the couch, reaching for the remote and turning off the television, which Jenna had left muted during her phone call. As she did so, Terri sat down on the loveseat opposite her, and Danica sighed a little in relief; just maybe, this time, they could talk like equals. "I looked for jobs here, I'd prefer to stay in town. But even if I did get a job here, I'd still want to move into my own place, Mom. I need--"

"We need you here." Terri's voice was weaker than Danica was used to hearing. "I need you, Jenna needs--"

"Oh, Mom, please, don't use Jenna against me." Danica fought with her annoyance. "I love you guys, I love you so much, but that doesn't mean I don't need my own life. I'm not leaving you. I'll never leave you."

"You will." Terri looked desolate now. "You'll leave me, just like your father did."

Danica couldn't speak for a moment, too stymied by her mother's response. Then, without really thinking, she got up, came around the coffee table between the couches, and sat down next to her mother.

"I'm not leaving you," she said. "I won't go away like Dad did. I -- but I can't, I can't stay in the nest forever, either. I have to take this chance, I have to go out and live my life."

Terri stared down at her hands. Impulsively, Danica reached for them, gathering their hands together -- part of her a little afraid that her mother would use all of this as an opportunity to fix herself a drink. They'd talked about the alcohol some, but there was still a long way to go.

"I love you," Danica said, firm as she could be. "I'm not doing this to hurt you."

"But it still hurts," Terri said. Danica squeezed her hands.

"Do you think it's easy for me? Moving out of the place I've always lived to somewhere I've never even visited, a completely strange city hundreds of miles away from you and Jenna? I'm scared out of my mind."

"Then don't go! Find something here, you can get an apartment, I don't care, just don't--" Terri pulled away from Danica, buried her face in her hands. The sound of her mother's sobs made Danica shake. "Just don't leave me. Don't leave me."

Swallowing hard, Danica put her arms around Terri's shoulders, rocking her a little. _I can't believe I'm the one comforting her. Shouldn't it be the other way around_?

"It's OK, Mom," she murmured. "I might not be here right in front of you, but I won't be gone. Please. Please let me go. Let me fly."

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against her mother's shoulder. After a moment, she felt Terri uncurl a little, felt arms come around her, and sank gratefully into her embrace.

"All right," Terri said wearily. "I don't. I don't like it, but I can't stop you."

Danica looked up at that, blinking in surprise, and Terri managed a weak smile. "Not without tying you up in the cellar, anyway."

"I wouldn't put it past you," Danica said, feeling herself smile in return.

* * *

She flew around the house in a panic for the next week, packing clothes and necessities for the immediate future, boxing up more of her things to be shipped when she found an apartment.

"You know Joey lives in Orlando, right?" Jenna said one day, teasingly, as Danica stacked books into a box.

"Yep," Danica grunted. She hadn't forgotten -- there was no way she could ever forget him, the way he'd made her feel; his touch was imprinted on her skin. But she wouldn't hold out hope for a reunion, either. She'd thrown out his phone number in Akumal while still depressed about everything, certain that she'd never have a chance to see him again and feeling it better to sever ties as much as possible. Her bridges were burned, but, she thought, that was all right. The memory of what they'd had made her smile, still, and in time, she was sure that the pain of her unrequited love would eventually fade. Someday.

* * *

Three days home from tour and Joey had already begun twitching. Though being on tour was always insanely stressful, sometimes he preferred it, with its steadiness of routine, the constant companionship of the guys, the nights of hard work that were still always fun, and the late-night adventures in clubs.

After all that, his house was unnervingly quiet. He did what he could to alleviate it; blasted music, invited a bunch of friends over to party, went out to dinner with his family. But by the third afternoon, he felt restless and ill-at-ease again.

Sitting on the couch with the television on, probably louder than it should be, he pondered the idea of going out clubbing; somehow, though, it held little appeal. He knew why, of course; it was the same reason Justin and Abbey had irritated him throughout the second leg of the tour. It wasn't their fault, though, and he wouldn't have dreamt of denying them the joy of new couplehood.

No, it was all his fault. He'd gone and fallen in love with Danica, and there was nothing he could do about it.

With a sigh, he turned off the television and grabbed the phone to call Lonnie. He still had a lot of Christmas shopping, and limited time, since they had a Christmas special to shoot for Fox as well as promo for that and other stuff. Though he could have just made a list and sent his personal assistant, that just wasn't the same somehow, and while he did have a few big gifts planned for his family, the guys, and various other close friends, he wanted some nice hand-picked stuff too.

* * *

He'd managed somehow to luck out; it was still fairly early in the day, so there weren't too many younger kids around, and he figured they were unlikely to expect to see Joey Fatone in a womens' clothing store -- though the 350-pound bodyguard standing impassively nearby helped him stand out, Joey mused to himself with a sigh. He did his best to look casual, though, as he glanced over a display of shirts and wraps, trying to decide if any of them would be to his mother's taste. Sighing, he decided he'd better try another store, and glanced up toward the exit.

He froze. Three racks over, a short woman looked through a pile of shirts on a table. Her face was obscured by wavy dark curls. Joey thought he could smell the faint scent of sandalwood.

 _Can't be her_ , he told himself. _She's in fucking Seattle, it's just someone who looks like her_.

The woman looked up as another shopper jostled her. An apology was made, smilingly accepted. Joey's heart stopped. He'd know those eyes anywhere.

"Da--" he started, and then he was moving, pushing past other people without any conscious thought of having begun to move. She looked towards him -- saw him -- her jaw began to drop.

"Danica," he said, hoarse, close and suddenly nervous and hesitant to touch her. So close, he could smell her now, knew that it was her, and his mouth was dry.

"Oh." Her eyes were wide, a deer in headlights. "it's. oh my god."

"Danny," he said, and he reached for her at the same time she pushed herself toward him, choking out something that sounded like his name. The breath went out of him in relief as he closed his arms around her, breathed her in.

"I found you," he whispered into her hair. "I found you."

"Joey," she gasped. "Joey."

* * *

Joey abandoned his shopping and paid for the shirts Danica had been looking at, ignoring her protests that she could pay for them. "Can we go somewhere?" he'd asked, his eyes still dazed. "Just to talk." She'd nodded, looking more than a little overwhelmed herself, and once the purchases were made, they went out to the car that was waiting at a private entrance for him.

Though he wanted more than anything to take her back to his house, to reacquaint himself with the smell of her, the taste of her mouth and the feel of her body in his hands, he swallowed the desire down and directed the driver to an out-of-the-way coffeehouse instead. They settled together in a booth, Joey reaching for Danny's hands as soon as the waiter had gone. He couldn't stop touching her, didn't want to.

"I never thought I'd see you again," he said softly. "Why are-- why are you here?"

"I got a job down here. Graphic design, it's what I wanted." She looked up, her eyes liquid in the semidarkness of the place. "And no, my mom wasn't thrilled. We had a huge fight about it. She's still nagging me to come back and find another job there, but... at least she let me go."

"Wow," Joey murmured. He remembered well how controlling Danica's mother had been in Akumal; things had evidently changed since he'd last seen her. "I-- I tried calling you," he said, his voice gentle. "A lot."

"Yeah." She looked away at that, eyes shuttering. "I'm sorry. I didn't. I didn't think it was possible for anything to ever happen again between us, so I wrote down a fake number. I just-- It was hard enough leaving you as it was, you know?"

He squeezed her hands, and she glanced back at him. "I know," he murmured, and leaned in to brush a kiss over her mouth: soft, the barest press of skin, giving her room to move away. She didn't. "That's why I didn't say anything about how I felt, before we-- before that last day. I didn't want to leave things hanging when we'd be so far apart from each other, and up until then I figured you had to have some boyfriend back home."

Danny managed a little smile, the first he'd seen since spying her in the store. "I'm not much good at meeting people," she admitted. "Jenna got the outgoing genes, I got the shy ones. I'm so bad at approaching people, I swear the only reason I talked to you is because I -- ran into you," and she giggled suddenly, face flooding with color. "I still can't believe I did that."

He grinned, too, remembering full well that chance encounter, how she'd barreled full-length into him in her swimsuit, knocking them both to the villa's porch. "It worked, right? I don't have any complaints."

"I guess so." She looked up at him again, shy behind her lashes now, and then glanced away when the waiter brought the coffee and sandwiches they'd ordered.

They were quiet for a moment, sipping at the steaming mugs, Danica nibbling at the pickle that had come with her sandwich, and then he reached for her hand again. "So how long have you been down here?"

"About a month," she said. "It's been kind of whirlwind, I had to come down here and find a place right away, and I've been doing a lot. It's a great job, really, it's exactly what I wanted." She paused, her fingers on the handle of the coffee mug, and then looked up at him once more, her eyes dark. "And. I'm sorry I didn't call. I didn't know... I mean, Jenna told me you guys were off tour and all, and that I should, but I didn't know if you'd want to see me again. Or if you even remembered me."

"You're insane." He squeezed her hand. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I've missed you. I was so shocked when I saw you, I couldn't even breathe for a minute there."

"Me, either." Her lashes fluttered, and then she turned her face to his, leaning up to press a kiss to his mouth, full and sweet. He inhaled sharply, a rush of heat going through him. She tasted just like he remembered. "I'm. I'm glad," she said, hesitantly. "I was. It was silly to be scared, huh?"

"Doesn't matter now," he murmured, and bent his head to kiss her again. "As long as you promise me you won't go looking for a job back in Seattle now that I've got you again."

Dazed-sounding, she whispered, "Cross my heart," against his lips, and Joey felt something squeeze inside him.


End file.
